To The Top
by KeGzZ
Summary: [REWRITE IN PROGRESS] Modern AU. A mysterious boy taught Astrid a way to overcome the pain and pressure that she had to endure from her father. She found hope and light in this boy when suddenly one day he never came back to their secret meeting spot again. 10 years later she applies for a dance school. She thought nothing of it until fate decided to let them both meet again.
1. Chapter 1 - We meet again

**Chapter 1 – We meet again**

* * *

 _Astrid was running through the forest. She just wanted to escape the harsh reality. Her father had been extremely strict recently. At the beginning, she thought that it would pass quickly but even after a month, her father still hit her whenever she was disappointing him. First it was all about B's. Now she was not even allowed to bring a B plus home. The pressure was building up day by day and finally she broke down._

 _She ran and ran until she reached a clearing in the middle of nowhere – somewhere in the forest, she presumed, since the clearing was still surrounded by trees. But it was not the clearing that took her breath away but a young boy who was moving against the wind yet still in harmony with it. He wore a hood and probably did not even see her since he kept on moving lightly on his feet. She had seen her father and her mother dancing, she had seen Spitelout dancing with his wife, heck, she had even seen Gobber dance, but she had never seen someone dance like the boy she was watching in the clearing right now. His movements were free and smooth. Every step and breath that he took was in preparation for the next one._

 _She hid behind a tree, watching him in awe. And just like that, she forgot about her grief for a moment. All she could think about was the boy and his activities. She wanted to get closer, hoping that his freedom could reach out to her. What she did not realize was that her shoelaces were stuck at a branch of the bush behind her, which led to her falling right out of her hiding place with a deep 'Oomph'._

 _The boy turned around in an instant, stopping whatever he was doing. Astrid was so embarrassed that she would not dare to look up at his face, afraid to see his shocked and disgusted feature. She lay there for a few minutes before she heard something shift. She was staring daggers in the grass, still lying with her belly flat out on the ground. Then Astrid saw a shadow hovering over her and before she could scream out of surprise, she saw a hand reaching out to her._

 _The hand was thin and had scratches all over it. Astrid felt confident enough to look into his eyes, so she raised her head, only to be dazzled by the sun that was shining brightly from behind his back, making it hard for her to make out his face. She could barely see how he moved his lips. He was saying something but she could not hear it. It was as if she were deaf. The sun suddenly began to shine even brighter and the last thing she could see was a white void._

* * *

She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling of her room. It was the same dream again. Every now and then she would dream about that young boy that she met when she was just seven. Astrid pushed herself up and out of her bed. She took a shower and brushed her teeth, having breakfast afterwards and silently wished that her father would not wake up. Getting new bruises was the last thing that she wanted in the morning. She had to be fit for the audition.

After getting dressed and packing her jogging pants and white tank top into the bag, she left the house. She jogged to the forest where she would normally meet him, just to find an empty space again. She looked around the unused clearing and then up to the sky. It was the perfect weather to dance. There was no sign of rain or a storm approaching. She smiled and said in a whisper, "I'm out. Wish me luck."

Afterwards she turned and was on her way to Berk Dance Academy. It took her nearly five months to convince her father to agree at her going to BDA. She had to promise him that she would land full points at the audition in order to get his full support on that matter. If she got even one point less, he would send her to a military school. She spent her whole time training and perfecting her movements after that particular meeting with the boy in the forest. She regretted that she never asked for his name more than anything though.

In the waiting room, she changed into her joggers. At least a hundred people were present, stretching and warming up for the same reason she was. Everybody wore the same expression. They were betting everything on this audition. After a while, a moderator came in and gave out their numbers. When it was her turn, she got a round plate with the number 97 written on it, placed in her hand. She took a slow and deep breath since it would not do her good if she could not perform properly just because she was too nervous.

Overall, there were 150 contestants and only 50 out of them could pass. She looked around, just to find one person after another fidgeting and tapping nervously with their feet. She could not take it anymore; she had to get out of this tense atmosphere. Maybe she could check out her rivals on stage. Maybe she could find out if there were movements that the judges preferred. And with that, she left the waiting room, going up the stairs to the next floor which allowed her a perfect view on the stage of the audition.

She placed her elbows on the railing, raising her hand as she supported her head with it. Soon after that, the first contestant was called to come up to the stage. It was a boy in extremely tight leggings and a white tank top.

" _Ballet, huh?"_ she thought to herself and watched as he presented his choreography. She did not know much about ballet but she did know a fragrance of it. She never took dance lessons except from the boy in the forest. The boy had a unique style that no one else had. She could make out traits of ballet from his dance style but overall it still was not ballet.

She watched as contestant after contestant presented the same movements that the previous one already showed. Of course there were some of them who stood out but there was no one to show something new. Most of them landed about 70 to 80 points out of 100. There was still someone to come to claim 90 points. Maybe she could do it and be the first to stick out of the average. She got lost in her thoughts rather quickly, not being interested in her rivals anymore. One thing that she noticed in everyone was that they were stiff, like, really stiff. There was nothing that told the judges that the contestants felt free while dancing. Their form was perfect but it was as if it was rehearsed over and over again. The dancing had no soul and no life – except for some who in the end seemed to really enjoy it though.

Suddenly a crowd formed next to her, all leaning over the railing, whispering and staring in shock. She blinked a bit and returned her gaze to see what got everyone's attention. Then she stopped breathing. A tall boy came onto the stage. He had auburn hair and wore loose jeans and a green t-shirt. But what probably took everyone's attention was the mask he wore. It was black and in the form of a dragonhead. There were small slits for his eyes but even they could not be seen. However, the real reason why she stopped breathing was because she knew this boy - or rather - man.

* * *

 _They were on their way home, when suddenly a nerdy boy went towards the group. They stopped and the boy looked around secretively before he whispered, "Are you guys interested in dancing?" Astrid and her friends looked at each other before she answered, "Why would you want to know?" The boy looked around again and smiled at her. "I can see from the way you walk that you dance yourself. Not ballet or all that crap, but real dancing," he said smugly and looked at the others, "Although I can't say the same about your friends." Scott, who saw a chance to impress the girl he had laid eyes on for years now, pushed her aside and looked down at the nerdy boy, "I love dancing just as much as she does!"_

 _That information earned him a couple of raised eyebrows though. "Really?" another blonde girl said sarcastically. Rachel just laughed at his face. While the other two boys remained silent and ignorant on the topic, the nerdy boy took the chance to pull out a poster. He held it to Astrid and explained, "There will be a show for the best dancers in this city, this Sunday. It will be held at midnight. There's a map at the back of the poster."_

 _He held up the poster and turned it around, then showed the cover again. "This guy is the best dancer known in the underworld so far. Nobody knows his name or his face but he dances as if he was born for it. If you are interested, then remember one sentence. The code to get into the building is 'May Odin bestow freedom upon us.' Don't forget it," the boy said and pointed at a picture in the poster, showing a boy with auburn hair who wore a black dragonhead mask._

 _Astrid took the poster and wanted to ask him something but he had already disappeared. She would ask next time, if there were a next time at all._

" _That was weird," Tyson said and was the first one to resume his way home. Rachel snorted and punched into his side, "_ You _are weird."_

 _Her twin brother just smiled smugly and responded, "Why, thank you. Praise me more."_

" _That wasn't a compliment though…" a larger boy with blond hair pointed out and followed his friends on their way. They began to get chatty all the while she just stared at the poster in her hand._

 _Something about the boy in the picture felt familiar. Scott, who noticed Astrid's absence and lost look in the poster found another chance to impress the girl, "Hey. Let's check out that show."_

 _Everyone turned to him and gave him a suspicious stare. "What? Can't I be interested in too thin people moving like apes on a stage too?" he asked rather offended and frowned._

" _It's called dancing, Snotlout. They're not apes," Astrid said and turned back to the poster, "But I think we should really check out this show."_

 _Rachel was the first one to talk back, "You know how strict our parents are. There's no way in hell they would let us go out at midnight."_

" _Not to mention to an illegal show," Freddy added and looked nervously to the ground._

" _Since when did you stop breaking rules, Ruffnut?" Astrid asked sarcastically and turned to Freddy, "And you, Fishlegs, should grow a pair of balls. It's boring to follow rules every day."_

" _True that," Ruffnut answered and shrugged her shoulders, "So? Where should we meet?"_

 _Astrid smiled and showed them the back of the poster, "Dragon Slayer Coffee Shop at midnight." She pointed at the red point on the map._

" _Yes! We have finally an adventure to look forward to!" Tyson yelled and swung his arms into the air._

" _They will kill us… they will surely kill us…" Fishlegs muttered frightened and nervously. And like that they went home, looking forward to their new adventure more or less._

* * *

The judges looked through some paper before they turned to the young man on the stage. The judges gave him the sign to start. Compared to all previous contestants, the song that could be heard now was not stereotypical classic. It was one of the popular ones recently. Astrid straightened her back and payed close attention. She still could not believe that he was standing on the stage, applying for the same academy as her. If he were to pass the audition, then she had no choice but to pass as well. He had been her goal for years. If she could land the same points as him, maybe he would consider looking at her. Looking at her - dancing. He was the reason why she could stay strong and do her best in everything. He was the reason she did not break down yet. Finally, here they were, meeting each other again.

* * *

 **A/N:**

So, this is like the first fanfiction (in my whole life) I am going to write. I have read many Hiccstrid Fanfcitions so far and one day, I got the idea of making a fanfiction as well. There were many ideas, but this was the one idea that actually stuck. So I hope this fanfiction will reach some of you people out there. English is not my mother tongue, so if there are any grammar mistakes then feel free to inform me.

If you liked this chapter, then please leave a review/feedback for I would really like to know if I should continue this fanfiction or not. If you didn't like it, tell me why. I really want to improve my writing and hope that you will assist me.

* * *

Date of Update: 16th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	2. Chapter 2 - Thank you

**Chapter 2 – Thank you**

* * *

When the first sound rang, Astrid could immediately tell that it was the clockwork at the beginning of the song 'Beautiful now' from Zedd and at the same time, the boy she was admiring began to move like a string puppet. His movements were abrupt and robotic but still harmonizing with the tact of the clockwork in the background. However, when the beat dropped, the song changed to the sound of a violin.

The violin would remind anyone of classic music but the difference here was that the instrumental sound was supported by a deep bass and light drums which gave the classic vibe a modern feeling. Suddenly, his movements got smoother and faster. Whenever the rhythm changed, he turned to a classical ballet position followed by a modern dance move. He was in the middle of a jump when he landed in an assemblé which was quickly followed by the v-step. He then pressed his legs together, his arms close to his body, and spun in a quick motion on his heels. Then he slowly angled one of his legs, performing a perfect fouetté. He jumped a Brisé, landed, and jumped again, landing on one of his hands, followed by a one-handed chair flare.

The judges stopped scribbling down whatever they did and watched intensely as the young man performed a dance style made out of classic ballet and modern dance forms. As time went on, he clearly proved that he mastered ballet as well as breakdance and other dance styles. He even included steps from the waltz and cha cha cha into his choreography.

The people who were standing next to Astrid watched with awe and admiration but also envy. Who would not? She had watched him moving like that for years and she still could not get enough of him. The song was nearing its end and her heart flew when she saw him initiating his trademark move. It was the move that had her falling in love with dancing in the first place.

* * *

 _They were sitting in the back of the hall but still had a good view on the stage. The hall was consumed by loud and booming music, making some of the visitors believe that their ears might drop off any moment if not used to it. Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins were chatting and looking out for girls or boys with a hell of an ass. Well, technically they_ were _at a dancing show, so what is the chance of meeting hot dancing people with abs and muscle? Right, a hundred percent._

 _Ruffnut even drooled at the look of a particular large man who had a tattoo printed over his chin. Snotlout was handsome in his own way, which earned him a couple of phone numbers of various girls. Fishlegs and Tuffnut were leaning back and enjoying the process of their two friends falling into the world of 'looks-are-everything'._

 _Astrid still stared at the poster. She knew the imprinted boy from somewhere but she could not remember from where. Where could she have seen him before? She quickly scanned her brain for everyone she knew and sorted him or her out. It was not Gobber. It was not Mr. Ingerman and neither were his children. It was not Spitelout and not the Thorstons either. She missed someone. Suddenly a boy with a hood flashed into her mind._

 _No, it couldn't be, she thought. The chances were one to impossible. Astrid found herself curious about that boy who was known as the 'best dancer of the underworld'. She knew that it was nigh impossible to see him again but a tiny corner of her heart hoped that he had returned from wherever he had disappeared to years ago._

 _Out of nowhere, the music was turned down a bit and the boy who handed her the poster days ago was now standing on the stage with a microphone in his hand._

" _Hello fellow dragon slayers! How are you?" he asked the crowd, which responded with a loud cheer._

" _I know, I know. You are all waiting for the Battle Royal but be patient! Like always, I presume that we have new guests here so I will make it short. In this Battle Royal, all street dancers in this city will have a dance battle. How do we know who won, you ask? By the volume of your cheering! The louder you are, the more of a chance your favorite dancer will have to move on to the next battle. The system is simple. Those who lose are out. Those who win proceed to their next challenge. And the last one standing gets the chance to challenge our best dancer in the underworld, our dragon master, Night fury, and win 10,000$ if he or she beats him!" he called out and the audience responded again with a loud cheer._

" _Now, let's not waste time and get it started!" he shouted and the lights went out, just to have floodlights illuminating the stage._

 _Two dancers came onto stage and the battle began. It was interesting how Snotlout, who only tagged along in order to impress Astrid, found himself cheering for either the more muscular dancer or neither of the contestants. The twins joined him not long after and left Fishlegs and Astrid watching in silence. It took two hours to declare the absolute winner. Obviously, the winner challenged the dragon master. Who would pass a chance of winning 10,000$?_

 _When a thin and lanky boy came onto stage, the winner looked at him with pity. He did not know that the dragon master was so small and thin. He barely had visible muscles. There was nothing to be seen. Astrid, though, could spot him everywhere. His posture was the same as years ago. He had his hands in his pockets and wore a black dragonhead mask. He had no hood on, which gave Astrid a clear view at his hair. She knew only one person who had such messy auburn hair._

 _And then the bell rang, signaling both contestants to start their battle. As always, the boy waited for the challenger to make the first move. It was like an unspoken tradition to wait for the challenger to start off, to show his talent and to show why he had made it so far. The challenger began with a windmill. Of course, it would be something like that. His challenger always tended to prove themselves with hard moves. So the boy just did what he always did. He copied the move and added his own style into it, creating a new move. Most people got provoked by his action and would step into his trap. It was no different this time. The challenger, offended that his move got copied, now tried to copy the boy's movement too. The boy however, would only repeat the same procedure over and over again._

 _When finally the challenger's legs began to fail, barely able to hold himself up, the boy initiated his finishing move. The crowd began to cheer and stump with their feet to the ground, chanting 'Night fury' through the hall and waiting for it._

 _The boy jumped back several times, landing on his hands, then his feet, his hands, his feet and then jumping even higher, spinning his body midair, landing on both his feet again, followed by a head slide instantly, turning it into a fast head spin, pushing himself up and landing perfectly on his feet. In that very moment, Astrid swore he must have felt how it was to fly because that was what she thought – he was flying. The challenger's jaw dropped as the crowd whistled and screamed the nickname of their winner. 'Night fury' were the only words that could be heard._

 _Astrid sat there with wide eyes, mostly in shock. She knew that move, but the last time she had seen it, it was merely a head slide followed by a windmill. Over the years, his move got even crazier. How could a person spin so much without falling out of balance? Either someone had to practice really hard or he had to be born a genius._

* * *

The young man was still performing his head spin, and when Astrid was sure that his move would end after that, he pushed himself up on one hand again, turning his head spin into a 1990s. Only after that he stopped spinning, landing lightly on his feet and standing straight up. With a final modest bow, he finished his performance.

The hall was silent.

A few minutes passed and the judges were writing a number on their sheets. When they raised it, everyone held their breath. There were four judges overall, each of them holding up a paper with the number 25 on it, which meant that he scored 100 points. A perfect performance. Contestants began to whisper and exchanged their opinion of the performance.

"That wasn't dancing! How dare he mix ballet with one of these low moves of street mud!" one of them exclaimed and did not hide his anger over the outcome. She remembered his face. He was one of the people who had the highest score. But she too knew that he was way too stiff during his dancing. And the only moves that he showed were known to need years of practicing in order to master it. In fact, everyone did that.

Who would not? It would tell the judges just what they were able to do, but none of them performed the basics. While complicated and hard moves may be a good way to prove themselves, it still lacked the authenticity of the dancer. They moved in a way a perfect picture book would show it.

When she first got a message that the topic for the audition would be 'Being Yourself', she did not quite understand what they meant. Now that she saw him dancing again, she understood.

The judges are searching for something new. They do not want 50 people who all dance the same, which technically is impossible but 'nearly' the same. The young man descended the stairs and made his way to take place in the audience behind the judges. Other contestants who already fulfilled their purpose were either going home or sitting in the audience, checking out their possible classmates for the next three years.

The audition went on, every contestant looking pale after he or she saw the man with the mask dance. The points were again alternating from 60 to 80. There were few people who actually got to the 90s. However, Astrid could care less.

She did not care about the score or anything at all. Everything that occupied her mind right now was the young man with the mask. After a few minutes, it was her turn.

"Contestant number 97, please come to the stage," she heard and her heart dropped.

It was now or never. She made her way up to the stairs and stood in front of the judges. In the back of the backseat rows, she could see him. He was looking in her direction, paying close attention. Maybe she just imagined it but she swore she heard a small gasp when she met his eyes. The judges gave her the sign to start and her song began to play. She too had chosen a modern song.

He taught her how to dance in the first place. He showed her a world of freedom. He gave her the choice of being herself. He was the reason she started to go down this path and his moves were the reason why she fell in love with dancing. Her style was also a mixture of modern dancing and ballet, though, not quite as perfect as his style, but still similar nonetheless.

She may have chased after him for the past years but she never intended to copy him. It was something he himself taught her at the very beginning. Astrid forgot about the judges and looked only at the young man when she finally began to move. _"Look at what you taught me, what you showed me, what you gave me. Look at me!"_ was what her whole body screamed.

He could see a smile on her face, her eyes always searching for his. She moved similar to him but still in her own way. His heart sank and he watched intensively as his crush danced. He could never forget that blond braided hair from ten years ago. Her hair was flying when she spun, in a way that made his heart flutter every time. He could clearly see her message directed solely at him. She was dancing for him and him only, telling him just one thing – 'Thank you'.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I'm really happy to see that the first chapter pulled out such a good reaction. Thank you for all your kind words.

Another thing: I can't reply to reviews from guests. I'm not a friend of answering to guests in my A/N but someone asked me a question I couldn't just ignore.

Q: "Did you just say that ballet is not really dancing?!"

A: No, I never said that. I am someone who admires and loves every form of dancing, which includes ballet. But it is reality that there are people in this world who don't understand the hardships of ballet and the hard work as well as discipline that has to be put in, in order to make it work. I want to remind you that this is a story, which means that everything said and done in here has nothing to do with my personal life, opinion and experience.

Again, I would love to read if there is something I can improve or something what you personally would wish for in this fanfiction. If enough people speak for the same idea (independent from other readers) I may think of including it.

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Date of Update: 16th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	3. Chapter 3 - I missed you

**Chapter 3 – I missed you**

* * *

Astrid sat in the waiting room, changing into her jeans and white blouse. Her body still trembled from performing on the stage. It had been a long time since she felt such harmony with her body. It does not mean that she has no control over her movements, the contrary. She had complete control over her body that sometimes freedom seemed so far away yet close. She knew that _he_ was the reason why she could pull out her true potential.

When her performance ended, the judges had begun to discuss again. It took a little bit longer than when they were discussing _his_ performance but in the end, she too got a perfect score. That also explains how she ended up sitting on the bench, pulling on her shoes, all the while the other contestants stared hateful daggers full of envy into her back. The judges had told her that she truly fulfilled the topic of the audition, but if they had to decide the score based on pure skill, then she would only have gotten a maximum of 80 points at best. She could care less though. What really took her attention was that the young man had met her eyes throughout the whole performance.

Astrid could not see his eyes behind the mask but she could feel his stare. However, what really made her curious was that he had stayed in the audience the whole time until hers. When the judges told her the outcome, he had suddenly stood up and left the audience.

And now she sat on the bench self-conscious of her performance. Did he not like it? Did he feel offended that she had the same idea of dancing a mixture of ballet and modern dancing? Or did he maybe recognize her? Whatever the reason was, it was eating away at her. She stood up and left the room. She had to go home and tell her father that she met his expectations. She knew that her father was not pleased with the idea of her daughter going to some school where she is going to jump and move around like a puppet but she knew he was still a man of his words.

She was walking through the corridor and turning around the corner when out of nowhere someone bumped into her. She stumbled but the person was quick enough to hold her up. When she finally found strength in her legs again, she looked up just to have her look at a broad shoulder. His lips were close to her ear as she could feel him breathe. "The same place at midnight," the person whispered in a deep yet familiar voice, just to turn around again and leave in a quick pace.

From behind, she could make out his auburn hair. Then it hit her; he remembered her. After ten long years, he still remembered her. Now she was more than eager to go home and return to their meeting place from their childhood.

When she opened the door to her house, she was glad that her father was not home yet. She dropped her bag on the bed and changed into comfortable joggers and a red tank top. Her jacket was still flying in the wind while she pulled it on, already running to the back of her house. It took her 30 minutes to reach the clearing. When she arrived, disappointment slightly pierced her chest as she found it empty yet again. What was she expecting anyway, he had clearly told her _midnight._

Now that she was outside already though, she decided against going home again since meeting her father on such a glorious day would ruin it. Instead she headed to the next diner and spent her time there, tapping half-heartedly on her phone. She watched as people entered and left, talked and joked, paying no attention to her. Every minute passing felt like an hour, her anticipation clearly evident now. At some point she ordered something to eat too since her stomach started to protest after hours of sitting around doing nothing.

When darkness settled over the city, Astrid looked at the clock on the wall and stood up. It was not midnight quite yet but she could not sit around doing nothing anymore. She had already paid for her order and took her jacket, leaving the diner. This time she took her time going to the forest, looking absentmindly around and taking in all the details she had passed before without noticing.

As she entered the dark greenery, she had no trouble finding her way to the clearing. By now she knew that place almost by heart after visiting it every week, sometimes even every day.

As she approached the faint light at the end of the tunnel, a huge grin formed on her face. _He_ was already there, practicing both the basics of ballet and spins of every form.

He was tall, taller than her by maybe half a foot. He wore black joggers that had a wide crotch cut, a green t-shirt and a black sleeveless zip hoody. His shoulders were definitely broader. She almost thought that she just imagined it when they bumped into each other. She bit her bottom lip when her gaze wandered down to his ass. She quickly turned her eyes away.

No, Astrid Hofferson was not checking out her childhood friend, definitely not. She took a glance at it again and groaned. It was his fault that her mind wandered into that direction. Blame it all on him and everything will be fine. She approached him slowly and waited for him to turn around. When he did, she met the black mask again. Gods, what would she give to rip off that mask. But she had to be patient, it had been ten years. Let's play along with his mysterious game. She did not want to rush things.

As if he could read her mind, he slowly put off his mask and smiled shyly at her. His emerald eyes met her ocean blue ones, holding a spark that was only reserved for her.

"It's been a long time, huh?" he stated matter-of-factly and approached her, maintaining a distance between them to give a certain privacy. His freckles shone under the moonlight, his smile blending her mentally. Her voice seemed to fail since she opened and closed her mouth a few times before she settled with a nod. He smiled again and put one of his hands into his pockets. "You're still braiding your hair, although it's to the side now," he confirmed with his free hand pointing at her braid.

Astrid placed her hand on her braid, playing with it self-consciously, "Well, it kinda stuck after you disappeared… for years." She looked into his eyes and found him frowning at the ground. Shit, she should not have mentioned it so soon. But could you blame her when he was the one leaving her for so long?

"I still remember how you would always run away and struggle though, when I was about to braid your hair," he said, ignoring her implication on his disappearance. Astrid played with her hair while an awkward silence settled over them. She would never admit that she began to braid her hair after his disappearance in order to have a momentum of her time with him. It would only make her look like a pitiful girl who was clinging to the one and only hope she had in her life and if there was one thing that Astrid Hofferson was not, it was being clingy.

* * *

" _Your hair is in the way. You won't be able to see anything if your hair flies around in a fan. You will be prone to mistakes because your hair could get stuck somewhere on your limbs or clothes. And it would hurt badly," he said as he reached out to her hair again. Astrid pushed him away and held onto her hair as if her life depended on it._

" _No! I won't do it! It's too much work and it's annoying!" she spoke out loud and took a step back when he was taking a step towards her._

" _I just- oh come on! Just-" he reached out to her again, only to grab into air. She was turning and running past him, facing his back._

" _My head feels weird after it's braided! It's like it weighs more than normally!" she pouted and held a firm distance between him and herself._

 _His patience was at a limit but he would not allow her to dance while her hair was in the way. He slowly turned and looked at her mischievously._

" _Don't! I- Ahhhhh!" she screamed as he suddenly ran towards her. He had to chase her all over the clearing until he finally grabbed her hand and yanked her to the ground._

" _Sit!" he told her while he himself sat on her back. She lay on her belly, struggling, "I'm not a dog!"_

" _Okay, okay! I'm sorry! Just sit still, will you!" he shouted breathless and took her hair in his hand. When she realized that her situation was hopeless, she stopped moving around and waited for him to braid her hair._

" _You know, you could just make it a plait," she said and huffed, "And you're heavy."_

" _You would run away again if I didn't sit on you. And I wanted to braid your hair," he said. She turned her head just slightly to see his tongue sticking out at the corner of his lips. She somehow found it cute to see him so concentrated._

" _Why?" she asked, not really expecting the answer that was to come._

" _Because I think it would look good on you," he mumbled quietly, still audible for her though. She blushed and turned her head back to the ground. Then she hid her face into her arms, smiling broadly at his compliment. He did not have to know that a cheesy line like that could make her so happy._

" _Finished!" he said as he climbed off her._

 _She sat up and turned to face him. For a moment, she feared that he might change his mind about his compliment when he saw her. His mouth was slightly agape and his eyes wide. "It doesn't look good?" she asked and was about to pull out her braid again when he suddenly grabbed her wrist to stop her._

" _No no no, not at all. It's just- how do I put it… It's…" he drifted off as he scratched the back of his head. He stood up and pulled her with him, "Whatever! Let's warm up."_

* * *

He was fidgeting, shifting his weight on his feet every now and then. She watched him as he stared daggers into the ground. Yep, really awkward. Then she remembered something that she had regretted over all these years.

"You know, I never asked what your name was," she said to start another conversation. He looked up at her surprised and hesitated before he answered, "Hiccup."

She raised an eyebrow and was about to ask about it when he added, "It's a nickname. Everybody calls me that. Another long story though."

He smiled and added, "It hurts though, that you never knew my name." And there it was, that sarcastic idiot of a half-troll. She could not help but smile though because it was so like him.

"As if you were any better," she shot back and put her hands on her hips. Gods, her hips. He gulped and diverted his gaze.

"Of course I know what your name is. As if I could forget my one and only childhood friend. You hurt my feelings Astrid, again," he pouted playfully and grinned.

"I never told you my name. Where did you-" she stopped when he pulled up his hand in a sign to stop her from talking further.

"One day I was walking home when I saw you with your friends going wherever you intended to go. One of them called you Astrid," he explained and sat down on the ground, making himself comfortable.

"Cheater," she said and frowned. Her smile however gave her away. Astrid sat down next to him and looked to the sky. It really had been a long time since she felt so at ease. She kept a modest distance between him and herself. Even if they were childhood friends, there still was a ten-year-gap. He had changed physically. Who told her that his personality did not change as well? She pulled her knees close to her chest, leaning her arms crossed on her knees and laying her head on it. Somewhere in the deepest corner of her mind, she hoped that he did not change at all. But that was a wishful thought. There was just no way that ten years did not change you. Many things can happen in ten years. She got lost in her thoughts when suddenly Hiccup pulled her out of it.

"You're welcome," he said. She turned her head to him, looking confused.

"What?" she asked dumbly before she could hold her tongue.

"I watched your performance. It was breathtaking. And I got your message, so… you're welcome," he said smiling at her, a genuine smile at that. Her heart pounded and she had to hold back the smile that was tugging at her lips with all her might as well as the tears that threatened to show themselves if her emotions were to be pushed even further.

She had missed him so much after she knew for sure that he would not come to the clearing again, so much that it hurt to know that now she could finally talk to him again instead of watching him every month on the stage located below the Dragon Slayer Coffee Shop. He lowered his head and turned his gaze to the ground. It was silent for a minute before he spoke up, "I had to leave… which was why I couldn't come here anymore." He clenched his fist and took the courage to look at her, "But I really missed you." That did it. She bit her lip to keep herself from whimpering but the tears already fell. She smiled at him and responded honestly, locking her eyes with his, "I missed you too."

* * *

 **A/N:**

And that's it for the third chapter! Again, I would really appreciate it if some of you would take their time to leave a feedback/review. If anything seems rushed then I apologize. I have the whole plot in my head that is still waiting to be written down which sometimes leads me to jump on topics that seem unnecessary in my head. That's also the reason why I keep on updating so fast (if it can be considered fast – depends on the definition). Anyways, I hope you liked it and keep on assisting me throughout the story, may it be by a review, a PM or a criticism. I appreciate everything!

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Date of Update: 17th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Cove

**Chapter 4 – The Cove**

* * *

Hiccup was walking through the city, earbuds on and his hands his pockets. The city was crowded as always, which gave him the opportunity to vanish into the shadows without people realizing it. He turned into an alleyway and opened a rusty gate. There was a plate hanging over the gate, spelling ' _THE COVE_ '. The building he was entering looked old and unused from the outside, the contrary of the inside. The marble floor was polished and clean, several expensive pictures hanging on the walls and… cookies in form of fish spread all over the place. When he proceeded to the end of the corridor that was leading to the main hall, he could already hear laughter and chatter.

When he opened the door, he immediately searched for his black-haired friend. The people turned their eyes on Hiccup, greeting him enthusiastically but he did not hear it. When he saw his friend talking to the blue-haired girl, he stomped his way to him.

"Toothless! I told you to keep your cookies in _your_ room!" Hiccup nagged and dragged him to the door.

Toothless rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, muttering, "Thought I'd get away with it…"

Toothless went to the corridor and picked up every cookie that he found, eating half of them on the spot. When he came back, his mouth was stuffed and he hugged a basket full with his fish-cookies. Some laughed at him and he only rolled his eyes, dragging his feet to his room. Hiccup sat down on the seat where Toothless previously sat. The blue-haired girl snickered and crossed her legs, leaning her elbow on her knee, her chin on her hand.

"He's a handful, isn't he?" she commented and looked at him. Hiccup groaned with an agreeing grumble. Another girl took a seat in front of him. She had black raven hair and green observant eyes. If people did not know Toothless and Heather, they would assume that the both of them were siblings but that was not the case. They just looked similar. Their personality however could not be more opposed to each other.

She wore a red corset with strings hanging around her neck loosely. Also hanging around her neck was a necklace with a silver cross. The ripped black jeans hung tight at her legs, her boots blending in with her pants perfectly. She had several tattoos over her body. On one of her arms was a black dragon tattoo that everybody in this building wore on different limbs.

"How was the audition?" she asked with a sweet voice. He unconsciously smiled and closed his eyes. Heather nudged the blue-haired girl and both girls grinned. Suddenly Hiccup felt a pair of hands pressing hard on his shoulder, pushing him down to the coach. "Wha- Stormfly! What are you doing?!" he yelled when another surprise took place. Heather sat down on his stomach as if he were a pillow. "Alright, spit it out, lover boy," Heather said, grinning ever so mischievously. He looked at Stormfly, searching for help but with no luck. She was wearing the same grin. Hiccup sighed and looked to the side, "Nothing."

"Oh please. You can't hide your feelings from us. We're experts in matters of emotions," Heather said as she moved her hands in a way to emphasize her argument. When Hiccup still did not speak up, Heather took a glance at Stormfly who in response smirked knowingly. She took a really deep breath, which made the air whistle a bit and Hiccup widened his eyes.

"No no no! I give up! Just shut up!" he cried out in shock and panic. Both girls grinned at him and let go of him. Hiccup sighed again and looked up to two pairs of expectant eyes.

"Fuck you," he muttered and leaned back into his seat.

"Why, thank you. No need to be so sweet," Heather responded sarcastically. Stormfly softened her face and reminded him again, "So? Who's the lucky one?"

He looked around the room to make sure that no one tried to eavesdrop.

"Swear on everything that is dear to you that you won't tell Barf, Belch and Hookfang about it," he warned. "I have no intention of listening to love jokes for several months."

Both girl raised their hand in compliance. Then he heard another voice from behind his back. "I swear," Toothless said as he sat down on the ground next to Stormfly. "You know that there was a time _before_ I met you guys on the street, right?" he asked and all three of them nodded. He played with his hand as if it was the most interesting thing in the world before he continued, "And you know that my father claimed in the media that he had no son?" Again, the three nodded. They did not want to interrupt his story, listening like children to their parent talking about the adventure in their youth.

"Behind our mansion was a forest. Whenever I would feel lonely or sad, I would sneak out and hide myself in the forest. There was a clearing where I always danced, laid or cried. Well, one day a girl fell out of a bush," he told them and a small smile formed onto his lips.

"She told me about the pressure her father was putting on her and other problems. I was eight and didn't know how I could help her. So I decided to teach her the one and only thing that helped me handle my problems – dancing. After that, we would meet every day. I would teach her and she would learn and forget about her worries. However, the day when my father exclaimed publicly that he had no son, I felt my world shatter. Even money couldn't lessen the pain that I felt," he clenched his fist and frowned.

"I didn't want her to know that I had problems too. I wanted to look strong in front of her. I wanted be her support and help her. Therefore, I took a few days off from wandering to the forest until my heart got used to it. But when I wanted to return to the forest, my father stopped me and told me to never tell strangers or other people my real name. He would take care of the paperwork and I had to keep silent. He kept drilling his warnings into my head for a whole day. When I thought that he had finished, I made my way to the forest. I expected her to be there… but she wasn't. I was there the next few weeks, waiting hours. One day I left a note with the time when I was going to be there. The following days I waited exactly at that time. The note was gone, so I presumed that she got the message but she still didn't come. She never came back again."

His frown lessened and he thought of their talk a few hours ago. "And today I met her again at the audition. I swear I have never seen someone dance so… beautiful and powerful at the same time!" he said in awe and his gaze was love-struck. Stormfly felt a little offended that he praised someone other than herself for his or her powerful dance. However, she was also curious what person could make him say that. Hiccup was kind and he always told the truth. But when it came to dancing, he was strict as hell. He only praised, if it was deserved. She had been searching for a companion who could rival her and pull out her true potential. Hiccup and Toothless tried that once but they were too far ahead. She could not compete with them on even ground.

"Is it that Astrid girl who you keep on calling in your sleep?" Toothless asked and Hiccup blushed. Both girls giggled as they heard it and Hiccup wanted to sink into the ground just then and there. He glared at his best friend and mouthed something like _'No cookies'_ , which earned him a shocked and pleading look. _Serves him right_ , he thought. "Are you going to introduce her to us soon?" Stormfly asked and he looked up. He shrugged and leaned back, "Maybe. I don't know."

"The audition?" Heather asked again.

"Aced it."

"Didn't expect less," she answered.

"By the way, where's Meatlug?" he asked as he looked around.

"She's working in DSCS," Stormfly responded, "Wanna drop by?"

"Sure. We don't have anything to do anyways," Hiccup said as he stood up and stretched. The other three followed his example and got onto their feet as well. Heather went to the stairs and called, "Thuggory! Are you coming with us to DSCS?" They could hear something moving around, rustling and then stumbling down the stairs.

"Okay, I'm here. Let's go," Thuggory said. The shop was only ten minutes away. On their way, Hiccup told them about the audition, leaving out the part with Astrid. When they arrived and opened the door, a sweet bell rang throughout the room. Meatlug was a rather plump girl with long brown hair. She was serving the guests, always maintaining a friendly smile. The barkeeper was a muscular man with a tattoo over his chin. He waved at the group as they went up to him.

"Hey Eret," Hiccup greeted him and looked confused when he did not return the formality. "What's up?"

Eret put down a glass that he was still holding and placed a hand on his shoulder, moving him to stand more to the left.

"Erm… Eret?" Hiccup asked nervously.

"Don't turn around," he said as Hiccup was about to, but he snapped his head back to Eret. "The blonde's been following me everywhere! I can't shake her off! Just stand there so I won't have to look at her," he whispered exhausted and took up the glass again.

"Must be tough, huh?" Heather commented as she stood next to Hiccup.

"Can I have hot chocolate please?" Toothless asked the barkeeper and Eret complied.

"A latte for me," Stormfly added and Thuggory followed with "Two hot chocolates."

Meatlug then came up and greeted them all with a hug. "How's the choreography coming along?" she asked and everyone groaned. Hiccup put his elbow on the bar and supported his head with a hand, "You know that I can't dance choreo."

"I know, but you guys are up against the Bog-Burglars next week."

"Which is exactly why we don't need a choreo. They are known to steal every move that you perform even once! If for some unknown reason our choreo gets into their hands, they will not shy away from using it at the battle."

"But what do you intend to do? Freestyling to victory? You can't be serious."

"Well, but choreo _is_ out of question."

Meatlug was about to argue again when suddenly a voice boomed through the shop, "Come on, babe, give me a chance here!"

Hiccup turned around to search for the source of this obnoxious behavior. He froze when he found it. Scott, also known as Snotlout, Jorgenson was sitting there next to the blond-haired girl he had met just the day ago.

"Screw it Snotlout. Hands off me!" she snapped and pulled out of his reach. Snotlout was known as the nephew of the major of Berk. His father, Spitelout, always made sure that Hiccup knew how inferior he was. That is also the reason why people did not dare to mess with him, afraid they could draw the wrath of the major on them. Worse was that Spitelout was the head of the main police station in Berk, which made Snotlouts influence even more powerful.

"If you call me _Babe_ one more fucking time, I'm going to break your nose!" she spat in his face. Snotlout, totally oblivious to her threat, still pulled closer and laid his arm around her shoulders. "I know that you want me, Ba- Ow!" he yelped as Astrid punched with her fist straight into his face, literally breaking his nose.

"Sweet," Stormfly commented.

"Lovely," Thuggory put in.

"Gods, this hot chocolate is the best," Toothless moaned as he sipped from his cup, oblivious to the whole scene.

"Astrid…" Hiccup whispered, barely audible to the group.

They all looked surprised at Hiccup and then turned to the blond girl who just broke the nose of the most influential boy in the city. Heather crossed her arms over her chest and smirked, "Wow, that escalated quickly."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Life from Hiccup's point of view as a small change of pace. I hope you like it and again,

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Date of Update: 17th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	5. Chapter 5 - A dangerous friendship

**Chapter 5 – A dangerous friendship**

* * *

Her fist hurt. Astrid rubbed her knuckles with her other hand and blew at it as if believing it would help lessen the pain. Tuffnut was filming the whole scene and when she actually _did_ hit him, he broke out laughing his ass off. Ruffnut was already crying and beating her fist on the table while she held her stomach. Fishlegs just sat there, looking around nervously and shrinking away with every passing second. Eret was already on his way to call the ambulance. Meatlug went straight to the group that was causing such an uproar. The last thing they needed was the police. If they were to find out about the underground hall, the government would close it immediately, shattering the dreams of those who had no home anymore and found hope in this environment.

Homeless kids got a roof over their head and in return, they worked at DSCS, won dance battles in order to win money that were bet on their head, they helped to maintain the hall clean and ready for show anytime and soon after they would find a real job and slowly get back into life. And the one who supported this financially was Hiccup. Nobody knew who he really was but the homeless people knew that it was him who gave the outcasts and the street kids a home and a chance. The only ones who knew that Hiccup was the son of the major was the ' _Brave Hooligans Crew'_ , speak, Toothless, Stormfly, Hookfang, Barf, Belch, Meatlug, Heather, Thuggory and Eret.

Of course, he did not pay for everything. He made sure that everyone who lived under his roof was properly working for his or her living. Only if the situation called for it, he would pull out his credit card. Another thing was that his great-grandfather had won in lottery one time and became a multi-billionaire just like that. His grandfather and father inherited it and so does he.

"Fuck!" Snotlout cursed as he held his face. Astrid huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Told you so," she said and looked up, freezing her movement when her eyes fell on him. Then slowly her gaze drifted to the girls next to him. The black-haired girl leaned casually on Hiccup and watched the drama unfold and so did the blue-haired girl. Somehow, her chest began to hurt, as if something was squeezing it with all its might. She did not know why though so she just tried to ignore that feeling.

Meatlug went up to them and held out a handkerchief, looking extremely concerned, "Sir, please take this to stop the bleeding before the ambulance arrives." Snotlout pried it off her hand and held it against his nose, "Do you have a bed here?" Meatlug gave him a dumb look before she shook her head. He took out his credit card and ordered her, "Get a fucking bed here right now!"

"S-Sir, this is a coffee shop. It would be inappropriate to set up a bed in here. And there is no space-"

"Useless pig! Fuck, it hurts! This shop is fucking useless! I'm going to tear down this shit!" he yelled furiously, mostly because of the pain.

"Sir, please, you have to under-"

"Fuck off!"

Meatlug was clearly panicking, trying to please the customer but to no avail. Snotlout was still cursing while Astrid tried to calm him down. "You can't just tear down the shop," she reasoned as he was holding his broken nose.

"Sure I can! I got the money, I got the connection and she fucking didn't listen to me," he growled.

"Well I didn't listen to you as well. Note the nose," she shot back, "Are you going to tear me down too?"

He looked at her with shock and widened his eyes, "Why would you even say that? You are Astrid! This stupid girl however just-" he looked at Meatlug and back at Astrid, "Someone!"

Meatlug held her tongue. The Crew could see that she was at the verge of tearing up so Hiccup decided to step in. He placed a hand gently on Meatlug's shoulder and smiled at her. She looked up at him and nodded relieved. She stepped back and went to Heather to get comfort. Astrid and Snotlout were still arguing when he finally raised his voice, "Scott." Both turned to look up at Hiccup.

"This shop is under m- Haddock's possession. You don't want to anger the major, do you?" he said, careful not to mention his own name. Snotlout snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "So you are telling me to back off?" he asked threatening.

"I'm telling you to know your place," Hiccup said calmly forcing his eyes on Snotlout to keep them from wandering to Astrid's face. Then all he could see was a fist flying right into his face. Hiccup fell back and landed with his back on the ground, holding his cheek.

"Shit," he muttered and sat up slowly. Before he could say anything, something black came into his view and out of nowhere, Toothless was grabbing the collar of Snotlout's shirt, raising the heavy and muscled guy into the air as if it was nothing. Toothless was growling like a wild animal, baring his teeth. "Don't you fucking _dare_ lay a hand on him!" he hissed into his face.

Snotlout was known to be stupid and therefore stupid enough to not know when he should be frightened but in this very moment, he felt as if his life was in danger for the second time in his whole life. The first time was when he had punched Hiccup in his stomach. That time, Toothless went searching for Hiccup, and when he had found Hiccup lying on the ground, he stormed off and yanked Snotlout to the ground, beating him black and blue until he lost some teeth. That was also where Toothless got his nickname from. Toothless was lucky that he was under aged or he would have landed in prison.

Hiccup stood up and knew he had to prevent it from occurring again. "Toothless, bud, it's okay," he said softly and Toothless snapped out of his rage. He let go of Snotlout and returned to Hiccup's side. Snotlout massaged his throat and gulped. Snotlout was not allowed to lay a hand on Hiccup or his friends, even if he wanted to. His father forbade him from harming Hiccup in any way because it would lessen the chance of his father to get the major to share his goods with him. Nobody knew that Spitelout was millions in debt. He had played all of his money, too addicted to the games. He needed to get to the good side of his brother-in-law.

Snotlout decided to give in but not up. He would never give up. He would get his chance one day. He just had to wait patiently.

"We're leaving," he half-said and half-commanded his friends. Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs were already following him when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, "Astrid?"

The blonde girl sat there and sipped at her coffee.

"I'm staying. I paid for this coffee, so I'm going to drink it. Go on without me," she said and shrugged with her shoulders.

He clicked his tongue and left with the other three. When they left, the Crew helped cleaning up the mess that Snotlout left. Astrid watched Hiccup as he tried to comfort Meatlug. He sure was surrounded by pretty girls. Heather had the figure of a model and so did Stormfly. Meatlug had more curves than the other two but still had something that she envied. Maybe one of them was his girlfriend. Astrid shook her head and pushed the thought aside. What did it matter if that really was the case? It did not concern her. She kept reminding herself that ten long years had passed and that those people were closer to him than she could ever wish for. The only thing that pushed her ego was that she knew him before he met them. She did not know for sure though, but she just had a feeling.

Stormfly could feel the slight bloodlust and immediately turned her head to see the blonde girl staring at her. She then looked at her situation. She was standing close next to Hiccup who helped her calming down the still frightened brown-haired girl. Stormfly smirked and nudged Hiccup who in response turned his head to her. "Yes?" he asked. Stormfly leaned even closer to Hiccup and whispered into his ear, clearly visible to Astrid, "I think your little mate is jealous. She keeps on staring daggers at me and Heather as if she's about to kill us on the spot." Hiccup blushed and searched for Astrid in the room. When their eyes met, he could see Astrid starting to blush too. She turned her head embarrassed away and sipped at her cup.

"Oh, I know her. I once gave out a poster of our show to her," Thuggory said as he came up to them, "I didn't know that you two knew each other though." He continued to drink his hot chocolate when Heather decided to speak up, "Why don't you introduce her to us?"

Astrid sat there and stole a glance at the group surrounding Hiccup. They were whispering something, the girls grinning widely. She did not like it. She knew that the girls were whispering on purpose. After a moment, Hiccup made his way to her. She set down her cup and looked up to him. He smiled shyly and turned back for a moment before his eyes met hers again. Okay, now she knew that those girls were definitely up to something. "My friends want to get to know you," he said and gave her a lopsided grin, "It's okay though if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you. It's more like, getting a friend of mine to know another friend- no, err, childhood friend, yeah, a childhood friend, you know? Like,… okay, I should shut up." He scratched the back of his head and put his hands into his pockets afterwards, looking around nervously. She realized that it was his way of coping with embarrassing or awkward situations. She could not help but smile at him and before she knew, she nodded.

His face lit up and he waited for her to stand up. She followed him to the small group and could see the girls smirking. Damn, for a moment she had forgotten about them. When they were standing face to face, she had to hold back the urge to spit at them. _Calm down, Astrid Hofferson_ , she thought. _You're better than that. You're cool. Keep a cool head_.

Hiccup then began to introduce them, "Guys, this is Astrid. Astrid, these are my friends. Heather, Stormfly, Meatlug, Toothless and Thuggory." He pointed his finger to each of them when he mentioned their names. Eret, who was standing behind the bar, gasped and held his chest. "Hiccup, you hurt me!" he said playfully, faking hurt as he smirked. "Ah, yes. And Eret, son of Eret," he waved his hand at the large man. Astrid could care less about the boys. Instead, she was checking out the girls. They looked even more beautiful up close, which made her even more envious.

Stormfly decided to make her move and held out a hand, "Nice to meet you. I've heard from Hiccup that you dance beautiful and powerful at the same time." Hiccup turned to glare at the blue-haired girl while Astrid raised an eyebrow. She did not expect her to compliment her indirectly but the surprise vanished just as fast as she saw the hidden glint in her light green eyes that almost seemed to be a golden yellow.

"You're beautiful," Astrid returned the compliment half-politely, half-challenging. Stormfly who got the message in an instant grinned widely as she answered, "Why, thank you. You're not bad yourself."

Heather had to hold back her laughter while Hiccup looked confused between the two girls. He clearly missed something that only the female species could understand. Meatlug giggled and went back to work. Hiccup was leaning with his back to the bar, which was the reason why he did not see Eret approach him from behind as he whispered, "You got yourself a tough one there."

Hiccup smiled a bit and watched her from the backseat. "I hope that they'll get along. I don't have the nerves to stand between two friends and get pulled by both sides. I don't want to get ripped apart yet. I'm still too young to die," he said. Eret rolled his eyes and answered, "I said that she's a tough one and didn't ask for your first-world-problems. But let me warn you, if you won't be careful, they will both turn themselves on you. I sense a dangerous friendship forming, my friend."

"You said the same when Toothless and me had first met," Hiccup grinned and Eret just turned back to his work. He waved with his hand dismissively at him and just repeated his words, "A dangerous friendship, my friend."

* * *

 **A/N:**

This chapter shows the first indication of what Hiccup has been up to in those ten years that he disappeared and a little background history of his broken family.

Also, I'm working on a cover for this fanfiction right now. It will show you how Hiccup and Astrid would look like in this fanfiction (as I imagine it).

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Date of Update: 18th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	6. Chapter 6 - Want you to want me

**Chapter 6 – Want you to want me**

* * *

"Okay, guys, I think we should calm down a bit?" it came off more like a question than a suggestion. Hiccup was changing his gaze from Astrid to Stormfly. How did that even happen? They just wanted to visit Meatlug and have a nice, relaxed end of the day, yet here they are in The Cove again and one of his best friends and dancer is about to have a dance battle with his childhood friend. Both girls were standing in front of each other with crossed arms puffed out.

"You say something! Normally you would be the first one to stop this!" Hiccup pleaded at Heather. She however made no moves to stop it, the opposite even, she was looking forward to it. Toothless was sleeping on the coach while the other guys set up the place. Thuggory was already sitting at his computer and checking the sound.

"Am I the only one who's in his right mind right now?!" Hiccup snapped. Heather snickered and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, lover boy, it's just a friendly handshake between two dancers," she said and he turned to look at the two girls. They were practically glaring each other down.

" _Friendly?_ " he asked as he pointed to them. He knew that Stormfly was extremely competitive, even more so than Astrid and both their stubbornness did not make the situation easier at all.

"You choose the song," Stormfly said as she stretched her body, warming up for the upcoming battle. Astrid did the same and responded, "Knock the Dominoes from Scott and Brendo."

"Got it!" Thuggory shouted from his corner and searched for the song.

"Girls, please? This isn't even going to solve any-"

"You stay out of it!" both girls snapped at Hiccup who shrunk away. Heather laughed and Barf, Belch and Hookfang were leaning at the wall to check out the new girl curiously. They were already home when they saw Stormfly marching in with another new fellow who they have never met before. Hookfang had red middle long hair with blonde streaks all over it, styled up and to the side, as if his hair was fire in and on itself. He was large and well-build. He wore a tight t-shirt, which made his muscles visible and toned.

Barf and Belch were twins. Barf was sitting on a chair, his front facing the backrest. He leaned his arms on the backrest and lay his chin on it. Belch sat on the ground, one leg stretched out while the other one was angled, supporting his arm that lay on his knee. Both had long dark green hair that went to their necks. While Barf had his pony styled to the right side, Belch had it on the left. Both wore the same black jacket as the other and the same red cap with its front to the back of their head.

"Okay girls, I want a fair and nice battle. No blood, no stepping on the other's feet and no verbal provocation. Did I make myself clear?" Heather said as she clapped her hands.

"Thuggory, you ready?" she asked the boy sitting in the corner. In response, he held up a hand and started the song. Hiccup gave it up and stepped back, joining the other three boys at the wall.

"She's crazy, isn't she?" the twins said simultaneously. Hiccup sighed and nodded, "If only you knew _how_ crazy."

Stormfly started with a 2-step, pivoting on one of her legs and continuing with the running man. She turned her face to Astrid and waved her arms in a motion that ended with her hands swiping over her shoulder for a few times, coming to a standstill.

The blonde took the sign and started to swing a bit to the music before she stood with her legs widened and angled, rocking her chest as she performed the roger rabbit. She then stretched her arms over her head, rolling her whole body as she came to a standstill when the beat dropped. After a second, she resumed to dance the reebok, turning it into a spin coming into Stormfly's direction, and when she was close enough, stopped with her front to the blue-haired girl as she spread her arms and leg in an exploding manner, retreating in a jump as if she might catch something if she stayed too close to her.

The battle went on with the girls showing more and more insane moves until they both knew that they were out of breath. They locked eyes and somehow reached a mutual understanding. They stood bent away from each other and waited a few seconds before they ran towards each other again. When they were close enough, Astrid rose her right leg, while Stormfly rose her left. Foot met foot and the same was repeated with the other leg. They both performed a back flip, landed on their feet and stood up, standing back to back and slightly grinding at each other.

Astrid was smiling. It has been a while since she had so much fun dancing. She loved dancing, no doubt, but she loved it even more to compete with someone. Stormfly felt the same as both girls began to dance _with_ each other instead of _against_ each other. They were watching, reacting, copying, dancing… but the most important thing was that they were enjoying it. The powerful dancing turned into smooth motions. Both did the butterfly, rocking their hips as their feet were dragging themselves on autopilot over the dancefloor.

"See, I told you. Friendly," Heather said as she smirked at Hiccup. He however was watching both girls dance all the while he was making a plan in his head. Stormfly had been searching for a partner for a few months now after the last one left. After that, they could not find someone suitable to replace her. But now that he saw first-hand how Astrid was dancing without all the spotlight on her, he could see it work. He did not want to drag her into this though. It was still illegal and could add more problems to her plate than she already had with her father. She had to offer it herself; otherwise, he would not let her join. The song had already ended and the two girls were laughing.

"You were amazing!" Astrid said honestly as she tried to stop her laughter, still grinning brightly though.

"You weren't too bad yourself!" Stormfly told her, this time honestly. "You should join us!" she offered the blonde girl and looked expectantly to Hiccup. However, Hiccup held a straight face, keeping it from betraying him. He wanted to hear it from Astrid. He wanted her, but more than that, he wanted her to want it herself too.

Astrid was looking at Hiccup and her face fell. She expected him to be happy but he somehow was not. Was she not good enough? Maybe the blue-haired girl went easy on her after all. She could still feel the excitement in her legs. She wanted to join so badly but Hiccup's face unsettled her. "I think I shouldn't," Astrid said and she swore she saw him twitch a bit right there. What was he thinking? She wanted to know what he thought about her when he watched her. Then again, Stormfly _did_ tell her that Hiccup had complimented her once when they were talking.

Still, she was not a person to beg for something. If he did not want her to join then she would not. She would not push herself on him. Although she was unsure if she could leave him with that black-haired girl alone, who was leaning at him so casually. She knew that Stormfly was not interested in Hiccup after she danced with her. That was also something why she loved dancing. Your moves were your expressions. You are honest if you dance whether the movements were smooth, abrupt or provoking. You could share a silent understanding through dancing.

Still, she wanted him to want her first before she would join. Stormfly was already pouting. She thought that maybe she had finally found someone to compete with only to find out that the person was not interested. Was that even the case? She looked up and caught Hiccup and Astrid staring at each other. Nobody in the room dared to raise their voice and point it out. They knew that this moment was in some way important. The way they looked at each other, was that thirst? If they wanted each other that badly, why did they not just say it?

Hiccup then closed his eyes and pulled back from the wall. He went up to them, still keeping a certain distance from them. "Want me to show you around?" he asked her and waved at… everything. It was just now that she noticed the building she was in. She was so occupied with the blue-haired girl that she totally missed out on the luxurious environment. She nodded and followed him upstairs. While the first floor was a large hall with all possible equipment there, the second floor was different. It was a long corridor with many doors at the sides. "We're living here… since we have nowhere to go to anyway," he said, muttering the last part. He led the way to the end of the corridor, opening the one and only door that was not build at the side. "This is my room. Sorry, it's a mess," he apologized sheepishly as he invited her in.

She stepped in and looked around. There were sketches of dance moves all over the wall, golden and silver trophies that occupied three shelves, medals hanging over the king-sized bed and clothes all over the place.

"We have two bathrooms. One is on the first floor and one on this floor. The kitchen and tattoo-studio is also downstairs," he said and picked up the scattered clothes, shoving them all in his wardrobe.

"You've been living here?"

"Yeah."

"For how long?"

"Eight years, I think."

Astrid pressed her lips together in a thin line. He had been living here for eight years and she did not know. There had to be a reason why he disappeared for ten years. Was he an orphan? He had never talked about his family. It was always her who pushed her family issues on him.

"Why don't you live with your family?" she asked and looked up. He froze at the mention of his family but he relaxed after a second and shrugged.

"This is my family," he answered and sat down on his bed, "The Crew, I mean. They're my family."

"Are you an orphan?" she asked with a slight hesitation. Hiccup looked up to the ceiling.

"You could say that," he mumbled, still audible though. Sensitive topic, Astrid thought.

She sat down next to him and noticed that she did not know much about his life. He was always listening to her rambling and crying. She wanted to do the same for him. She wanted to return the favor.

"You know, if you ever have something on your mind, I will always listen. I may not be good at giving advices but I'll try," she said and turned to face him. Her face was so close to his that she could feel his breath on her lips. When did he lean so much on her? No, that was not the case. She was the one who was leaning on him.

When she realized that, she pulled back in an instant as if she got burned. She could feel how the blood rushed to her head. She took a glance at him and found him just as embarrassed as her. Shit, again this awkward silence. They were sitting there for a while until the tension faded, leaving a comfortable silence. They enjoyed the company the other provided.

* * *

Downstairs, the group was already betting. Thuggory pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. "Alright guys, let's start. Who goes first?" he announced and held his pen ready.

"I give them a month," Eret said as he opened the door. Meatlug was following him, closing the door behind her. Thuggory began to scribble down the first bet.

"Two months," Heather said.

"Three weeks," Meatlug called.

"Three _months_ ," Stormfly said cheerfully.

"Two and a half month," the twins spoke up.

Thuggory was looking at Hookfang, who held up six fingers. "Six month it is," he said as he wrote down every bet. "Okay, how much will we bet? Oh, wait, wait, wait," he stopped them when everyone pulled out their purses. "Until what? Until they get together officially or have sex?" he asked for confirmation. "Where's the difference?" Barf and Belch asked at the same time and Stormfly decided to answer the question.

"Well, they could already be kissing and have sex before they announce their relationship since most people tend to keep their relationship a secret at first. I say we bet until they officially get together," she explained. Everybody nodded in agreement and Thuggory wrote it down.

"Okay, the rules are simple. No influencing in any way. On top of the money, the winner gets to be free of cleaning after Toothless' mess for a month," the nerdy boy said.

They all hummed and counted their money. Hookfang then put down fifty bucks. Everyone took out the same amount and put it down on the table as well. Thuggory counted it twice to rest assured that none cheated. He then pulled out a box, put the money and the paper in it and closed it, locked it and put it in the safe. "Now ladies and gentlemen, let's watch the love unfold," Thuggory said playfully with a smirk and everybody grinned just as amused.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey guys! I forgot to ask you something. It's a bit late though but better later than never. As you have already noticed, I turned the dragons into humans in this fanfiction. Since it's already done, I won't change it. But I still would like to know what you think about it, since most fanfiction turned them into dogs and cats. However, I think that the dragons possess a certain level of intelligence that most animals don't and therefore should be able to show it.

Again, thank you for reading!

* * *

Date of Update: 18th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	7. Chapter 7 - Dancing with you

**Chapter 7 – Dancing with you**

* * *

The next few days passed rather quickly. Astrid spent more and more time with the Crew. The first day of going to the academy was still two weeks away. Every day she would have the same routine. Doing chores in the morning, going to the forest in the afternoon and learn new moves from Hiccup and going to DSCS or The Cove in the evening.

Stormfly and she became friends quickly after Stormfly confirmed again that she had no romantic interest in Hiccup or whatsoever. She also learned that Heather was not bad herself. She was in charge of the tattoos in the Crew while Meatlug was the cook and support of them. Stormfly had explained that they both were whispering on purpose because they knew that Hiccup was _hers_ , whatever that even meant.

Heather did tell her that she was once interested in Hiccup but she gave up when she realized that he was not even looking at her. She even thought that he was gay, when all his attention went to Toothless all the time. Barf and Belch seemed rather quiet to Astrid until they blew up the kitchen when they tried to bake. She still did not know what ingredients they used and she did not want to find it out either. She spent less time with them when she learned that whenever the twins would grin creepily, they would plan something crazy.

Hookfang was the cool type. He did not speak much, did not do much except practice and dancing. If she asked him, he would even show her his moves, teaching her with as little words as possible. Another thing that she discovered was that Toothless danced on the same level as Hiccup. Individually, they were geniuses, but together they were unbeatable. Their moves blend in with each other, supporting the other party and pulling out their full potential. If they were not dancing then Toothless would sleep his whole day on the couch and Hiccup would practice alone, sketch some new moves or train his endurance.

But most of the time they trained every possible move that Hiccup could be using. When the Crew was dancing while Astrid sat at the wall, she found out that they were dancing in perfect harmony. Hiccup just had to change his angle and the whole Crew knew what to do next. They were practically freestyling but at the same time, they were dancing with each other. If someone made a mistake, another one would cover the mistake with a new move. Astrid envied them for their blind trust in each other. She wanted to be a part of that group even more after she saw them dance. For that she practiced every day to get better, even if only slightly. With each day that she spent with them, she felt as if she were a step closer to Hiccup.

On the day of the battle against the Bog-Burglars, Hiccup had actually taken Meatlug's words seriously. They _were_ freestyling to victory. There was a blonde with a particular wider and larger chest than the rest who gave them a hard time though. If Astrid remembered correctly, her name was Camicazi. All the people had so strange names in the underworld. Either way, it was a risky choice but the BHC pulled through and had won the battle. For once in her lifetime, Astrid felt happy and home at the right place. She was in a good mood most of the time, which slowly arose suspiciousness from her friends. She only realized it when they began to ask her about it whenever they met.

"You haven't been spending much time with us anymore since that incident in the coffee shop had happened," Ruffnut pointed out when they were going out to party. Fishlegs was driving while Snotlout sat on the passenger seat. Astrid pursed her lips and looked out of the window.

"It's nothing," she said and hoped that her friend would buy it. Luck was not on her side though.

"I don't believe you. There's something up. You're hiding something," Ruffnut persuaded her as she checked her make-up in the screen of her mobile phone.

"Where are we going anyway?" Astrid asked in order to change the subject. At that question, Ruffnut's face lit up and a huge grin formed on her face.

"Guess what, I was following that hot muscular black-haired guy secretly," she was already drooling and flapping her eyelashes, "And I heard him talking to that fat girl, the one who works in that coffee shop, that he will throw a party tonight! So, when he left, I went to that girl and… squeezed out some information, like, where it will be held."

Astrid twitched at the mention of ' _the fat_ ' girl. How were the chances that the girl, that Ruffnut was talking about, would be Meatlug? Wait, if it really was Eret talking to Meatlug, then Hiccup will attend the party as well as the whole Crew. Although she did not want her friends to meet the Crew, she still felt like actually looking forward to it. Then her eyes moved to Snotlout's seat, shit. As long as she could remember, Snotlout and Hiccup _did_ have a bad relationship with each other. It is nothing new that wherever Snotlout went, trouble seemed to follow him. But if it concerned Hiccup, she definitely became more protective.

"We're here. But I still think we shouldn't attend it. We weren't even invited…" Fishlegs said with a small voice as he parked the car on the opposite street. They could see a large house lit up in different colors. People were entering and leaving, flocking inside and outside of the house. Some held plastic cups in their hand while they talked and laughed. "I don't care. Since we're already here, we may as well greet them!" Ruffnut grinned mischievously as she left the car. The boys were stumbling out of the car as well and Astrid followed them. Fishlegs locked the car before the five of them crossed the street, walking towards the house.

They could hear the music even from fifty meters away. It is a wonder that the neighbors did not call the police yet. When they entered the building, they were pushed around as the people there were trying to move. Ruffnut wore thick make-up and suddenly Astrid felt pity for Eret. Maybe she could warn him before her friend found him.

"Well, let's have some fun," Astrid said before she left the group. Snotlout however had other plans. He followed her and tried to show off again.

"Hey, where are you going without me?" he called out. Astrid, totally oblivious to that air head, continued to look for the muscular man. When she finally found him, she waved at him, calling out his name. Eret turned around and met her eyes. He was about to wave back at her when suddenly his face fell. He turned around again and ran for it. She could make out the blond head in the crowd that was following close behind him. She was too late. In her mind, she saluted him and wished him all the best luck of the world.

"Who were you calling?" Snotlout asked as he grabbed her wrist. Astrid groaned annoyed and yanked her hand out of his grasp.

"Nobody you would care to know," she spat and looked around again. "Come on. We're the only ones here that you should know, especially me! Why don't you spend some quality time with me instead of… _this_!" he gestured to the people around them who were actually enjoying the time of their life.

"Because _this_ ," she made the same gesture, "Is still better than being around you!"

"You don't have to be shy, you know? I mean, no one can resist this much manliness," Snotlout bragged as he flexed his biceps. Astrid rolled her eyes until she noticed the auburn hair in the crowd. She did not hesitate to rush towards it, leaving Snotlout behind in the crowd. When she arrived, she was already standing on the dance floor. Hiccup and the Crew took turns in trying to impress the crowd. Stormfly tapped Hookfang's shoulder, who in return made his way onto the dance floor, taking over. He began to slide his hand over his hair and widened his stance, freezing in his pose. He moved smooth over the floor and always froze when the beat allowed it.

The crowd gave them space as they watched enthusiastically. Hiccup was standing at the front of the crowd, swaying with the music and smiling wide at the performance. Astrid pressed herself between several people until she reached him and tapped on his shoulder. He turned and widened his eyes. Then he smiled even wider than his eyes already were.

"Hey!" he greeted her cheerfully, "What are you doing here?" He had to raise his voice in order to get through to her.

She shrugged and grinned before she answered, "Someone dragged me here!" He returned her grin and looked to the dance floor for a moment before locking eyes with her again. "You want to dance?" he asked and pointed to the dance floor. She followed his eyes and responded, "You don't even have to ask!"

Hiccup then told the Crew that he wanted to go up next. Astrid did not hear it though. She expected to get tapped by Hookfang next and dance alone. Hiccup however had other plans. Hookfang had finished and was already looking for the next one when his eyes fell on Astrid. He nodded as a greeting before he tapped Hiccup on the hand. Hiccup then pulled Astrid to the floor and began to move. His hands were both lying leisurely over his crotch while he rolled his shoulders like a windmill, moving his feet in a smooth motion over the floor.

Astrid blinked for the first few seconds until she realized that she was supposed to dance with him. Her heart lit up when the thought of dancing together with Hiccup finally hit her. She grinned as she held her arms casually over her head, rocking her hip and sliding with her feet over the even floor. Her legs brought her closer to Hiccup, who in return, was rolling his body and stretching both arms to the side as he imitated a wave flowing through his body. His hands landed on her waist that pulled her closer to him. Her back was touching his chest and they began to grind against each other.

It was not the first time that Astrid grinded against someone, which was the reason that she normally would feel nothing about it. However, it was the fact that she was dancing with Hiccup and standing so close to him that her body felt hotter and stranger. He was leading her, moving her, touching her. Her body did not feel like hers anymore and without thinking, she raised one of her arms to grab at his hair while the other arm was lying close over his. A foreign heat built up in her chest that spread through her whole body. If Astrid did not know better, she would say that she was on fire.

The comfortable pose held only for a moment though. Hiccup pulled back and turned her around, looking into her eyes. Their faces were inches away. Astrid's eyes wandered to his lips and for a moment she had the urge to kiss him right there. She could feel his breath on her skin when suddenly cold air replaced the comforting heat. He resumed the dance as he widened his stance. Maybe it was a reflex, or an instinct, but Astrid immediately grabbed his hand and spun back into his arms. She changed her grab on his arm to his neck and then did a split, dropping to the ground with her right leg stretched out in front of her on the free space between his legs while her left leg stretched to the back, all the while pulling him down with her so that he found himself bent over her.

A lot of _'Ohhhh_ 's could be heard around them as the audience whistled and cheered at her finishing move. Hiccup pulled her back up and gave her a lopsided grin.

"That surprised me," he said as she was on his eyelevel again. Astrid smirked proudly at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I haven't been sitting around lazily as you might have expected," she exclaimed in delight. They were both breathless, locking eyes, grinning hugely at each other.

What they did not know was that Snotlout watched the whole scene unfold in front of his eyes, which were already filled with hate. Scott Jorgenson would never surrender his prey and he swore on his pride that he would definitely not surrender his prey to his cousin.

* * *

 **A/N:**

And here we have the seventh chapter finished. I didn't want to write 'fillers' which is why I wrote the first part in a manner of skipping time. Everything you get to know in the first part is not important to the plot and only serves to make the story complete.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reading again! I can't thank you enough for taking your time in order to read this story. You guys actually make me feel so proud after a long while! Thank you!

* * *

Date of Update: 19th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	8. Chapter 8 - Comfort

**Chapter 8 – Comfort**

* * *

Ruffnut got a glimpse of the long hair which was similar to hers. When she was close enough, she tapped his shoulder and Tuffnut turned around, still holding his mobile phone up in the air, recording something.

"Hey, you already back?" he asked his sister with a crooked grin.

Ruffnut sighed and put her hands on her hip, "Yeah. He got away." He could hear her click her tongue and watched as her face contorted into an unpleasant frown. "Whatever. What are you recording?" she asked and scooted closer to him.

"Oh you will love this! You see, after Astrid broke his nose last time, I got particularly addicted to her violence towards Snotlout," he laughed and pointed to a small space in the crowd. "Astrid's been dancing with that tall guy with the messy hair for a while now, the one who shut off Snotlout's ego in one sentence, remember?" Then he pointed to somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Ruffnut followed his gesture and saw Snotlout fuming silently at the back of the audience. "No," Ruffnut said already grinning widely. "Yes!" Tuffnut laughed and turned back to focus his mobile phone on Snotlout, zooming in to see his angered face.

"Well, I guess I can understand why she would neglect us in order to hang around those guys. I mean, seriously, look at that ass!" Ruffnut commented as she watched silently at the sideline.

"May I remind you that I'm a guy and therefore not interested in another man's butt?" Tuffnut snorted and zoomed out.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes and was about to go find Eret again, when Tuffnut suddenly spoke up, "Oh, oh, oh! Now things are getting interesting! Seriously, I was about to stop recording!" His sister came back to look at what his brother was watching currently.

Hiccup decided to get a drink for the both of them after they danced a long while with the Crew. When they had finished their performance, Stormfly had dragged Astrid back on the dance floor, just as eager to dance with the blond-haired girl. As time passed, they changed the dancers every few minutes. Barf and Belch both moved as if they were one mind and one body, copying the other ones technique flawless and without mistakes. They were both specialized in the robot dance, moving as if there was a mirror between them. While it was expected of them since they were twins, Hiccup and Toothless proved to the crowd that they could do the same, even without blood-relations.

Hookfang's moves were more focused on his legs than his arms. He was crossing his legs over and over again so fast that people could not keep up with their eyes. Of course, it included the moonwalk, every c-walk techniques as well as a simple shuffle. When the sound got deeper by every passing second, he fell back in a slow motion and held up his body on his legs with perfect control. However, just because he danced more with his feet, did not mean that he could not hold himself up on his arms. He could, but he did not do it since it was not his style, he had explained to Astrid one time.

And now they were exhausted from all the dancing. She was talking to Stormfly, discussing the moves that they just did minutes before. The comforting atmosphere turned sour immediately when she saw Snotlout stomping his way to her. He held out his chest and tried to look as intimidating as he could, to no avail. The more he tried, the more his face contorted into a creepy expression.

"Hello ladies," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows. Astrid groaned and turned her face away, holding her temple. Stormfly looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Who are _you_?" Stormfly asked as she saw the annoyed expression forming on her friend's face. Snotlout gave her a crooked grin and laid his arm around Astrid's shoulder.

"I'm her escort," he said confidently and flexed his biceps.

Astrid rolled her eyes and shrugged of his arm. Stormfly blinked for a moment before she gave her friend a plain look, glancing to the airhead and then back to her. The blonde formed her lips in a round form that clearly told her ' _No_ '. The blue-haired girl gave her a nod and a pitiful smile.

"Well, nobody can resist this much manliness," Snotlout bragged as he gestured to all of him, rocking his hip up as an indication to his crotch. _Gods, did he really just do that?_

"Listen, Snotlout, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm _not_ interested in you?" she spat at him as she tried to stay as far away as possible from the muscle-loving idiot. Snotlout took a step towards her as he grabbed her hand.

"Babe, you don't have to deny me. I will protect you from the other girls if that's what you're afraid of," he tried to convince her when he took a glimpse of the auburn hair that was moving towards their direction.

"Call me that one more fucking ti-" and suddenly she felt something crusty and rough pressing on her lips. Her eyes widened when she realized that Scott fucking Snotlout Jorgenson was kissing her! His face was so close and it disgusted her. He reeked of alcohol and too much deodorant. She closed her eyes to spare herself from watching any longer as she tried to pry him off. Shit, her arms and legs were lacking strength because of the earlier workout on the dance floor. She tried to lean away only to be followed by him. She grabbed a handful of his hair and tried to yank him away, but to no avail.

Stormfly was too shocked to comprehend what was going on. Before she could pull herself together and help her friend in need, Snotlout pulled away with a grin on his face. He may not get his woman immediately but he would make sure to hold off any other guy who laid their eyes on her.

* * *

Hiccup was just returning from grabbing a drink when he saw them. Snotlout and Astrid were kissing, and it seemed to be initiated from both sides too. She was not pulling away, her eyes were closed and her hands buried in his hair. His face fell as his heart began to beat faster. An unbearable pain crept up to his chest, as if someone had stabbed him right there. His legs would not move and his eyes would keep staring at the scene in front of him. He could not hear the loud music anymore, drowned by the agonizing pain that filled his head and heart.

He knew that ten years were a long time and he knew that she probably already had a boyfriend. He could understand, because… who would not want to date such a beautiful woman? He was even prepared to dig his way slowly into her heart until he could wait for the chance to tell her how much he yearned for her and snack her away from her boyfriend.

But he did not expect it to be Snotlout of all people. Well, he knew that there were many girls out there who fell for the dumb and badass kind of guy but he was so sure that Astrid was definitely not one of them. He thought she was different. Suddenly he felt like throwing up. He had to look away or that image would haunt him for the next few weeks. He began to drag his feet away from the scene. _Just pretend you didn't see that_ , he told himself. He put down the cups and fought his way to the toilet. The music could still be heard as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Calm down. You knew that she might have a boyfriend," he mumbled and splashed cold water on his face. But as long as he could remember, she did break his nose. She fucking broke his nose! Who would not think that she clearly hated him? And here she was again, eating him away publicly in the mids of strangers. _Shit!_ He had to get the image out of his head. He stood in front of the mirror for a while before he checked his face over again.

"That will have to do," he encouraged himself and left the bathroom.

When he came back with two cups in his hands, he put on his poker face and smiled at her. She did not return it and it took all his willpower to keep him from crumbling down then and there. He held out the cup and asked her, faking concern, "Is everything okay?"

She then looked up at him with wide eyes as if she had seen a ghost. She pulled herself together quickly though and took the cup. "Thanks. And yes, everything's fine," she lied to him.

In the corner of her eyes, she saw his lips twitch at the edge of his smile. She turned to look at him again to make sure she saw right. He was still smiling at her. Maybe she just imagined it. Gods, her right hand still hurt from beating up that Snotface. She kept her hand hidden in her pockets. The last thing she wanted was him to worry over her when they just had begun to get closer to each other.

"Are you sure?" he asked her and placed his hand on her right arm when she yanked it away from his grasp, afraid he might find out about her ripped knuckles. Hiccup however interpreted it in a whole other way. They were dancing just fine but after she had kissed Snotlout, she was disgusted to be touched by him.

She frowned and stared daggers into the ground. Okay, now it was clear as day that she was going out with his cousin. Snotlout was already gone when he had returned to her. Maybe he gave her a warning. He clenched his fist at the thought, trying to keep a modest distance between himself and her.

"Yes. I'm just tired," she said and avoided his eyes. Now she was avoiding him! His heart was at the edge of exploding but he knew better. If he was not careful enough, he might lose her forever.

"You want to lay down a bit?" he asked and tried to bury his agony.

She looked at him and nodded slightly. He then led her upstairs into Eret's room and invited her in. There was a couch at the wall, a bed at the window and a desk at the bottom of the bed. His walls were full with posters of cars and photos of the Crew. She sat down on the couch and leaned back, closing her eyes. The silence was doing her good. Hiccup was about to leave when she suddenly spoke up, "Stay? Please…"

Hiccup looked at her confused. Then he remembered. She was always searching for comfort in the forest and in him whenever she had problems. Maybe that was what he was to her, comfort. He looked back to the door and then at her. Maybe he could do it. If he cannot be her lover then at least he could be a good friend. Yes, that will do.

He closed the door and sat down next to her. He took a glance at her and noticed that she was shivering. He immediately pulled off his jacket and held it out, which left him with a white tank top. Astrid looked up at him and smiled, accepting his offer and pulling his jacket on.

He leaned back into the couch with one arm stretched out on the backrest and the other one on his lap. He closed his eyes and just sat there, breathing, relaxing… just being. He was wearing a silver necklace around his neck and she could see tattoos over his arm and chest through the white top. Normally he always wore loose clothes that hid his muscles but now that he took off his jacket, she could practically feast on him.

She did not know if it was because she was tired and exhausted or because she felt guilt that Snotlout had kissed her, but she felt something tug at her, like an invisible thread that pulled her towards him. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Sleepiness overwhelmed her as she relaxed further into him.

Hiccup looked at her and wanted to say something when she interrupted him, "I'm tired. Just stay like that for a moment, please…" He was tense, stiff even, considering that his crush was leaning really close at him. He nodded and looked out of the window, relaxed his body and let her seek the comfort that she needed.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Another question to you guys; Would you want to see a good or bad relationship between Hiccup and Stoick? We're at the point where nothing is revealed yet (not much that is). So, leave a feedback/review with your answer (?) or just a review with your opinion of this chapter. I'm fine with either.

Again, thank you for reading!

* * *

Date of Update: 19th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	9. Chapter 9 - Meeting new people

**Chapter 9 – Meeting new people**

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Her eyes met a dim light when she opened it slightly. Her neck was stiff and she felt something warm touch her cheek. Astrid blinked again until she saw a white tank top. Her eyes went up to his collarbone, his throat, his jaw and then finally his eyes. He was looking down at her, smiling. "Slept well, M'lady?" he asked playfully. Right, she was at Eret's party and then… oh god, and then Snotlout had kissed her, and somehow she ended up with Hiccup on a couch, leaning on him.

"You look so sickly innocent when you sleep," Astrid heard a familiar voice saying. When she searched for the source, she noticed three things. First, beside Hiccup and her, there were another three people in the room. Second, those three people were Eret, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. And third, Ruffnut was handcuffed to Eret's bed.

Tuffnut was holding up his mobile phone and… _snap_. "Snotlout will love this!" he called as he swiped his thumb over the screen. Hiccup tensed when Tuffnut mentioned the name and he began to pull away a bit, even if it was against his will. Astrid though did not understand the sudden movement.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him with a small voice and he froze.

"Erm, I think it's inappropriate for a girl to lean on another guy when she's already in a relationship," he whispered quietly as he turned his face away.

"It's a good thing that I'm not in a relationship then," she said smiling softly at him. Hiccup snorted at that and replied, "Yeah, right. That's why you were kissing Snotlout."

"You saw that?" she asked, her eyes widened. She pulled away from him as she locked her eyes with him.

"Yeah. It seemed rather heated too," he scoffed.

"I'm not going out with Snotlout! Eww, how- why- what?! Eww!" she cried out as the mere thought caused her goosebumps.

"Then why were you kissing him?" he snapped at her, his control over his feelings fading slowly.

"Because he forced it on me! He tried to impress me, to my annoyance if I may add, and then out of nowhere when I was telling him off, he kissed me! Eww, I would not even go out with him if he were to be the last man alive!" she shot back and was a bit angry that he would assume her to fall for someone as retarded as Snotlout.

"And I couldn't pull back because I was exhausted from all the dancing that we did! I tried but he wouldn't fuck the hell off!" she was already unconsciously yelling at him and Hiccup's eyes widened with every passing explanation.

"But when I touched you, you pulled back as if you were burnt!" he argued and pointed to her right arm. She followed his gaze and sighed. Then she pulled out her right hand and showed him her ripped knuckles. "After he pulled away, I beat him black and blue. I hope I did anyway…," she explained and rubbed her knuckles.

Hiccup could not believe what he had just heard. Hope began to fill his chest as he realized that everything was just a misunderstanding.

"It's true. I recorded it! Man, Astrid, I do have to admit that you get sexier with every hit that you land on Snotlout," Tuffnut said, grinning widely as he came up to the two. He held out his mobile phone, which apparently was a smartphone, and he touched the play button. Both Hiccup and Astrid watched the video from Tuffnuts point of view.

They could hear the music in the background as well as Ruffnut talking to him. Not long after Tuffnuts announcement, they could see how Snotlout made his way up to Astrid. He was clearly trying to hit on her but if her gestures meant anything, she was avoiding him. After a moment, Snotlout pushed himself against her and stole a kiss. In the background, they could see Hiccup freezing on his way with two cups in his hands. When he had left, Snotlout pulled away and soon after a fist buried itself in his left eye. He yelled out of pain and stumbled backwards. Then Astrid jumped on him, punching him so much that Stormfly had to pry her off him. When Hookfang had a good hold on the blonde, Stormfly decided to turn around again and slapped her hand over Snotlout's cheek with a powerful force that people thought he would pass out on the spot. They watched as Fishlegs made his way through the crowd and how he carried Snotlout away from the scene.

Tuffnut then pulled away his phone and sat down on the ground in front of them. There was something that caught Astrid's eye though. The moment she found Hiccup in the video, she noticed his look. Shock, pain, confusion, anger… all those feelings were reflected in his eyes. What bothered her was why it pained him to see her with Snotlout. Either he was overly protective over her or he had a huge crush on her…

No, no, no, that was impossible. Maybe it was the same feeling that she had when she realized that she did not want to see Hiccup hurt. He probably had the same feeling, having to protect his one and only childhood friend. But then again, why did he not do something? He could have just pulled Snotlout away and that would have ended it. But Hiccup turned around and left without even trying. She looked up to Hiccup whose face seemed to have brightened up a great amount after he saw the video. Could it be? Maybe he did have a crush on her.

She could just confess to him and find it out but that might ruin their friendship. It was not sure that he returned her feelings and she would not be so naive as to interpret some facial expression as love and therefore risk their relationship. Nope, she would wait until he said it aloud, or showed it… like a kiss or something.

It still did not keep her from flirting or leaning into him though. "Well, as you can see, there's nothing going on between Snotface and me," she told him and leaned back into his shoulder. He was not as tense as before and even scooted a bit closer. Eret then joined Tuffnut and sat down on the ground too. It was then that Astrid remembered Ruffnut on the bed.

"Will you tell me why Ruffnut is handcuffed to your bed?" she asked curiously. Eret looked back at his bed and then back at her, shrugging and answering, "When I realized that I couldn't shake her off, I put drugs in her drink and offered it. Of course, she took it immediately and then I carried her up here and handcuffed her to my bed because I had no rope. And I don't want to run away all the time on my own party."

"I won't ask you why you have handcuffs in your room," Astrid said as she raised an eyebrow.

Hiccup laughed at that and she could feel his body shake underneath her. The way his chest rose and the way he smiled and laughed caused her blood to boil and reach into her head. She was probably blushing like crazy right there so she buried her face into his shoulder, unconsciously.

Something began to rustle and all four pairs of eyes went to the bed. Ruffnut groaned and wanted to rub her eyes when she felt herself bound to something. When she opened her eyes, she looked for the cause of her inability to move her hands. Handcuffs… wait- what?

Ruffnut blinked her eyes several times before she looked around. Her eyes fell on the group on the couch and then on the black-haired muscular boy with the tattoo over his chin. "Okay… what is the meaning of this?" she said, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"You got drugged, dear sister. And this mountain of a man bound you to the bed so you wouldn't chase after him anymore," Tuffnut stated simply as he shrugged.

Okay, that explained one thing. Then she looked at Astrid and Hiccup.

"Mind to introduce me or… us?" Ruffnut asked Astrid and switched her gaze between Hiccup, Eret and then to her again. Astrid chuckled in response and gestured with her hand to Eret.

"Eret, son of Eret, meet Rachel Thorston also known as Ruffnut. Ruffnut, Eret. Eret, Ruffnut," she introduced her best friend to the man first since she knew that Ruffnut was more interested in him. "Her twin brother Tyson Thorston, also known as Tuffnut. Oh, and you should be careful. If they're together, they could be more dangerous than Barf and Belch," she warned Eret who looked up at her with wide eyes. It was one thing to be chased by a girl but it was another thing to be chased by a _crazy_ girl.

Tuffnut just raised his hand in a greeting and turned his attention back to his smartphone. "And this somewhat thin but tall guy here is Hiccup and before you ask, no it's not his real name," she said as she patted his chest.

"I don't even know if I should take it as a compliment," Hiccup snorted sarcastically. Astrid in response just punched his arm and smirked mischievously.

"Take a room, will ya?" Ruffnut groaned and shot a look at Eret. "Would you mind taking off the handcuffs?" she asked sweetly and he knew that she would jump at him the moment he freed her so he shook his head. He did not want to lose his peace yet. Ruffnut sighed again and tried to still her hunger by looking at Eret's body. Well, it would do. Being handcuffed to his bed was charming in its own way she presumed.

"Well, it's late and most people already left. You could go home but you could sleep over as well," Eret offered them as he stood up. Astrid looked at the clock and thought about it for a moment before she nodded. Astrid was helping Eret pulling out the blankets and matrass' from underneath the bed. Tuffnut always stayed with Ruffnut and as he saw her drooling all over Eret again, he nodded as well.

"Okay, Astrid, you'll sleep with Ruffnut on the bed. Tuffnut and I will sleep on the matrass' and Hiccup will-" Eret explained when they could already hear a screeching sound from the couch. Hiccup lay across the couch with his arms crossed beneath his head.

"Yep. Hiccup will sleep on the couch," Eret finished and prepared the blankets and pillows. After a while, they were ready to go to sleep. Ruffnut was still handcuffed to the bed though since Eret feared she would jump on him in the middle of the night. When everything was ready and set, Eret turned off the light and made his way to his matrass.

When Ruffnut was sure that the boys were already asleep, she turned to Astrid and tapped her lightly.

"Astrid," she whispered and watched as the blonde opened her eyes. "So it's that guy?" she asked and Astrid looked at her with confusion. "You know, the one you told me about when he disappeared? You were depressed for more than a month that I had to literally beat the information out of you," she whispered, not wanting to wake up the boys. Astrid then nodded and grinned widely.

"Well, you have good taste. His ass is definitely worth chasing," she joked and nudged her with her hip since her hands were trapped. Astrid bit her bottom lip and sighed, "Only if you knew."

"Try me," Ruffnut challenged.

"Not now. I'm tired. I'm exhausted and I want to sleep so badly."

"While you'll look at his ass."

"While I'll- no!" Astrid hissed and slapped her playfully at her arm. "Why would you say that?"

"Because I got a great view at it."

"What?" Astrid said and turned around to see Hiccup's back. He slept with his face towards the backrest of the couch, his blanket over his legs and torso. She turned back to find her best friend grinning smugly at her.

"Gotcha," she said in victory. Astrid rolled her eyes and said "Good night." before she turned around again and watched Hiccup's body moving with every breath.

"Good night," Ruffnut said as she closed her eyes. Astrid laid there for a while, watching him until her eyelids got heavier. Darkness found its way to her and she fell asleep peacefully.

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 **A/N:**

So, I got a few opinions concerning the relationship of Stoick and Hiccup. The majority was for a bad relationship. Well, I think everybody would get mad if their own parent disowned him or her. But I'm still thinking it out. I don't want it to be something like "He disowned me, so I hate him passionately." No, I want it to have a deeper meaning.

If you liked this chapter or have something to criticize, please leave a review. Again, I appreciate everybody who took their time to read this story.

Thank you for reading!

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Date of Update: 20th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	10. Chapter 10 - For coming back

**Chapter 10 – For coming back**

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 _Hiccup did not know what to do. He just wanted to dance a bit and then this girl came stumbling out of the bush. He sat next to her and waited for her to sort out her thoughts. When he held out his hand to her, she instantly began to cry. He thought that maybe he did something wrong and tried to apologize several times for whatever he may have done to her. She decided to grab his hand though before he could change his mind. And now they were sitting in the shade of a tree and she finally stopped crying. Minutes passed until she coughed to try to get his attention. He turned his head to her and saw her bloodshot eyes. "Sorry about that…" she apologized with a small voice._

 _Hiccup just nodded and waited for her to continue, but she did not. Therefore, he decided to ask her himself, "What is wrong? Did something bad happen?"_

 _She sat there for a while, an awkward silence overcoming the both of them again until she nodded her head. So something bad actually did happen. Maybe she broke something and her parents yelled at her. Or maybe she stole a gum from a shop and somebody found out. Maybe she just got lost in this huge forest and did not know what to do. Then she pulled her knees to her chest and played with the grass underneath her feet._

" _My dad is mad at me," she began while forcing her eyes on the overly interesting green grass. Well, at least it is something they both had in common._

" _Why is he mad at you?" he asked._

" _I don't know. My dad always says that I should not cry and should be strong. I should be strong and proud to have been born into the family."_

" _That's really silly!"_

" _No… I don't mind. What I don't like is that dad always wants me to do things that I don't enjoy doing. I have to read and write… and learn everything, every day. It's no fun but I do it anyway."_

" _So… what's the problem?"_

" _He's never proud of me. He looks at me with this_ skeptical _look… and I try to understand what he's thinking but I can't. I just can't! And whenever I fail his expectations, he hits me. Even more so if he's drunk."_

 _That was unexpected. He himself knew what she was going through but he never got hit. Not even once. His dad would yell at him and stare his confidence down, but he never hit him. "You could go to the police and-"_

" _No! He's the only family that I have left!" she snapped at him for even suggesting it. "And don't you dare tell it anyone!"_

" _I don't even know you. Who should I even tell?"_

" _Good. I don't want you to know me."_

" _That doesn't even make sense!" he cried in frustration as he buried his hands in his hair. What was up with that girl? First, she cries, then she apologizes, then she tells him about her situation and now she threatens him. She glared at him and turned her look away again. He lowered his arms and saw the sad glint in her eyes. He sighed and looked to the sky._

" _So? Will you follow his orders for the rest of your life?" he asked and tried to imagine animals into the clouds. He could hear how she shifted her weight next to him._

" _What else can I do? He would hit me if I didn't," she answered in a whisper._

 _The problem was her father then. And if she were to disobey, he would hit her even more. And he did not want that to happen. What would he do in her situation? He hummed a melody and tapped with his feet in rhythm. He did not want to concern himself with problems. He just wanted to dance and forget all about it. … Dance. … Forgetting._

" _Ah!" he shouted as the idea hit him. The girl just looked at him with confusion and raised eyebrows. He went over to a stone and took the brown box that lay there into his hands and then returned to her._

" _What is_ that _?" she asked and looked at the suspicious box._

" _It's a radio!" he said grinning._

" _Why do you need a radio?" she asked even more confused now. "And where did you get that?"_

" _I sneaked it out of home and it is for listening to music," he explained as he slid his hand over his hair._

" _You could just get a CD recorder," she said as if it was the most obvious thing on the world._

" _Yeah, because it's even heavier than a radio and moreover, it needs electricity to work," he said sarcastically and tried to arrange the antenna of the radio._

" _And why do we need music?" she asked, still not comprehending what he is planning._

 _When he finally found the channel that played music, he got to his feet and put his hands on his hip. "Well you know, since I can't help you much, I thought that maybe I could show you what I do when I got problems to worry about."_

" _And that would be?" she snorted and raised her eyebrows again. He then spread out his arms like was about to embrace the whole world and grinned widely. "Dancing!"_

 _She looked up to him dumbly, realizing that he was completely serious about it and then she laughed, hard. She held her stomach and tried to even her breathing but to no avail. He frowned at her reaction, which really offended as well as confused him._

" _Why are you laughing?" he snapped at her and she looked up to him again, red from all the laughing._

" _I mean, how could dancing solve my problems?" she asked and sat up straight again. His expression softened._

" _It won't help you solve your problems. But it will help you forget your problems. Isn't that what you need?" he asked and stared at her intently._

" _Well yes, but I can't dance. I have never danced," she answered meekly, avoiding his stare._

" _That's not a problem. It's just about you wanting to dance. The rest doesn't matter," he said and grinned widely again._

" _Well, can you dance?" she asked and stole a glance at him. She liked the way his lips met his eyes when he smiled._

" _Of course I know how to dance! Look!" he said as he angled his arms and legs, imitating a pharaoh stance. Then he walked like a robot forward with each beat of the music. She stared at him with a blank face. He was ridiculous. It was so ridiculous that she could not help but smile._

 _He noticed that and blushed. Her face seemed to have softened and her shoulders were not as tense as before. And somehow that image of her being at peace filled his heart with joy. Maybe he could make her laugh, that would also make her forget the bad things._

 _He changed his pose into that of a duck, flapping his arms forward and backwards repeatedly. He bent down to his knees and stole another glance at her. Now she was showing her teeth while she smiled. He did not know why but he felt proud of that accomplishment. Okay, now he needed something that would knock her from her feet. He stood straight again and thought about the move that he had practiced for a while now. He then spun and seemed to walk forward but he walked into the opposite direction. It was hard to moonwalk over grass but he still managed it. When he turned his head to her again, her face contorted into a frown and she wanted to say something it seemed, she even stood up. He did not like that face, maybe he should have tried something else._

 _He turned around and all of a sudden, his face met hard wood. He groaned and fell backwards, losing his balance, which resulted in him landing on his butt. His nose was throbbing and he tried to ease the pain by holding it._

" _Ow…" he mumbled and then a shadow was hovering over him. She was looking down at him, worried._

" _Are you okay?" she asked and something tugged at the corners of her lips. He nodded, which caused his nose to ache again._

" _Urgh…" he decided to rest on his spot until the pain lessened. Suddenly he heard her laughing loud. He turned look at her and she held his hands over her mouth in a quick motion._

" _I-I'm sorry," she stuttered and was holding in her giggle. "I'm really sorry. I didn't intend to laugh at you, b-but it was so funny the way you fell," she said, laughing in between her sentence._

 _He rolled his eyes and still held his nose. When he took another glance at her, she was still laughing and he thought that maybe it was not so bad to make a fool out of himself if it meant he could watch her laugh like that. Yep, it is definitely worth it._

 _Out of nowhere, she punched him on his arm, which earned her a frustrated groan from the young boy._

" _What was_ that _for?!" he asked annoyed and pained, now taking his hand away from his nose and rubbing the spot where she hit him._

" _That's for making me worry," she said and bent down, giving him a kiss on the cheek afterwards. "And that's for making me laugh," she said as she pulled away._

 _He was blushing furiously. She stood up again and looked to the sky. "I got to go," she said simply and turned around. "Will you be here tomorrow as well?" she asked, not looking at him._

 _He forced out a 'Yes' since his voice seemed to have stopped working. She was grinning but he could not see. She then retreated into the forest, leaving him alone in the clearing, looking forward to the next day. He however, was still staring at the spot where he had lost sight of her. He still could not comprehend what had just happened. She hit him. That hurt. She kissed him on the cheek. That hurt even more, well, not painfully but it felt like a bigger punch. His heart was racing and pounding as if there was no tomorrow._

 _He then pulled himself together again, trying to ease his excitement. Then he grinned at nothing, thinking about the upcoming day. "Yes, I will," he mumbled as he went back home too. For some reason, he did not feel like spending time alone in this hideout anymore after he met that girl. It felt so wrong. It was as if the clearing was not what he wanted anymore if he was the only soul there, gazing at the surrounding and the sky. Right in this moment, he felt like flying._

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Astrid opened her eyes and blinked a bit before her eyes adjusted to the light that shone through the window. Tuffnut snored, Eret was still sleeping as was Ruffnut. Her eyes searched for the auburn hair that still rested on the couch. She shifted a bit before she realized that she still wore his jacket. She pulled it closer to her body and imagined it to be him. It was as if he was embracing her. Would it feel like what she was feeling right now?

She watched his body breathe with every passing second and then she remembered the first day the both of them had met each other. He was walking backwards right into a tree. She could not help but laugh at him that time. It felt so unreal. But it was that fateful day that her life seemed to have widened for a large amount. And suddenly she felt the urge to hit him again, for disappearing so long. Only with the difference that this time, she would actually hit him.

She pulled off her blanket, careful not to wake anybody up. She snuck with light feet over to him and bent over him, looking at his peaceful face. She grinned mischievously and clenched her fist. Then she punched him into his arm, waking him up from his slumber. He yelped and sat straight up, frowning at her confused and angered that she had disturbed his sleep.

"What the hell was that for?!" he asked confused and annoyed. She grinned at him and shrugged.

"That was for disappearing for so long without telling me," she said and saw him roll his eyes.

"Couldn't that wait 'till I was awake?" he asked and rubbed his eyes. She shook her head and found his sleepiness so adorable. She just could not hold it in anymore and leaned down. When he moved his hand away, his eyes widened. She closed her eyes and pushed her lips gently on his. She felt him freeze underneath her as she kissed him. Then his lips began to move slightly, returning the kiss and leaning a bit into her. When she pulled away and opened her eyes, she could see him gazing at her with a lost sight. She bit her lip at the scene and smiled, adding, "And that's for coming back."

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 **A/N:**

I'm sorry for the delay. I had a fight with someone and it escalated a bit. (No, no violence. Just verbal abuse) It resulted in me having no Wi-Fi and no motivation in writing. But here I am again! I didn't want to let you wait too long, and yeah. I hope you'll like this chapter even if it's mostly about the past. If there are some mistakes/opinions you want to leave, then give me a feedback/review (?)

Anyway, thank you for reading again!

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Date of Update: 21st September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	11. Chapter 11 - What I've been waiting for

**Chapter 11 – What I've been waiting for**

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Hiccup sat there in silence, watching at her retreating form. Was he dreaming? He pinched himself and hissed as he felt the pain shoot through his body. Okay, he was definitely not dreaming. The next thing he tried to confirm was the kiss. He traced his lips gently with his fingertips, as if the feeling would vanish if he did not handle it with care. His lips were still a bit wet.

Alright, she had kissed him. She had _kissed_ him! Wait. It is not the first time that she had kissed him, although it was always on his cheek. That kiss could have been the same, just a sign of gratitude. His heart still raced and did not seem to calm down any moment. He tried to process everything again. He held out his thumb. First, he was sleeping safe and soundly. He held out his index finger. Second, she punched him out of nowhere, waking him up. His arm still stung because of that. He held out his middle finger. Third, she kissed him. And that is where his mind goes blank again.

There is just no logic in everything that Astrid does. He traced his lips again and found himself smiling at the memory. Afterwards he looked around in the room, confirming that everybody was still asleep. Good, the last thing he wanted was to be made fun of. Astrid had already left the room, right after she kissed him, to be exact.

She was in the bathroom, looking into the mirror. She was as red as if she had accidently eaten a chili con carne with too much hot chili peppers. She opened the tap and splashed cold water into her face, slapping herself gently on her own cheeks. What had she done? Now it was absolutely sure that their friendship was awkward if not ruined.

She waited a while until the red tint in her face disappeared for good before she came out of the bathroom. She knew that there will be an awkward silence the moment she enters the same room as Hiccup, so she decides to clean up after the party. She went downstairs and found plastic cups lying everywhere. Some were crashed, some still half-filled and some were empty. Then there were chips and all kinds of food all over the place. Well, that will take some time to clean up. Not to mention the soaked carpet in the living room.

She went to the kitchen and searched for a trash bag, opening every drawer and cupboard until she came across some black plastic bag. She took it and began to pick up every cup and unfinished food, dumping it into the bag. After a while, she heard steps coming down the stairs and so she turned around to find Hiccup leaning on the rail, watching her. She tried to act as normal as she could manage and just smiled at him, which caused him to blush and avoid her gaze. Was he… embarrassed? She grinned at the thought but let him be.

"Can I help you in any way?" he asked without looking at her, scratching the back of his head. She then looked around and turned her gaze back to him. "You could rearrange the furniture how it was before. I've never been here until last night so I don't know where the toppled couch for example should be," she answered and followed the track made out of cups. He began to help her too and tried to keep his eyes away from her. Well, at least he has something to do now in order to distract himself.

When he stole a glance at her again, she was bending down to pick up a half-eaten sandwich. The way her jeans were glued to her legs emphasized the curve of her hips. Full and round.

"Don't look, don't look, don't look," he muttered in a chant and turned his head away again. It was not new that he had wild phantasies about her or about the both of them together, but he always thought that the phantasies would stay a dream. However, after she had kissed him, his mind had run wild for a while now.

"Did you say something?" she asked as she stood up straight again. He then realized that he had said it aloud and shook his head nervously. "No?" he said, which came out more as a question than a statement. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him with an analyzing gaze, "Okay…?" She then turned her attention back to the trash.

He stared at her back though instead of resuming his task. His eyes wandered down to her waist and then he stopped doing whatever he did. He just wanted to hug her. He went over his excuses that he could use. One, he wanted to lift her and see how much she weighs. Two, he wanted to see if his arms fit around her. Three, he only wore a tank top and he was cold, so he tried to warm himself up by hugging her. Four, he was possessed by an evil spirit that feasts on young and beautiful women. The third option sounded rather normal, he would go with that. He stepped up to her and took a deep breath before he put his arms around her waist. She jumped at the sudden contact and turned her head to look at the person in question.

"What are you doing?" she asked, however, not pushing him away. She even leaned into him.

"I'm sorry, I was cold but suddenly an evil spirit possessed me that feasts on beautiful women-" he said so fast that she could not understand him.

"What?" she asked totally confused now. He let her go and put his hands into his pockets, looking for something that was more interesting than touching her, which was a difficult task. She wore a disappointed look but he could not see it since his eyes were everywhere but on her.

"You normally would give me a kiss on the cheek," he blurted out and gave himself mentally a slap for saying it out loud. First, he messed up his excuse and now he asked the question that might destroy their friendship. Nice Hiccup, really well done.

She was lost in her thoughts and played with the tip of her braided hair that was still a mess from sleeping. She decided to ignore his question and went back to work. Hiccup, who took up the sign as well, went back to helping her. God bless him that the other three upstairs were still asleep. Otherwise, they would all ask him thousands of questions at once concerning the awkward tension between the two. It took them only an hour to clean up most of the things. They decided that vacuuming and doing the dishes could be done by the sleepyheads upstairs.

It felt like stalking whenever Hiccup turned his head to observe her. She liked the attention though. They both sat on the couch in the living room, maintaining a modest distance between each other. Talk about awkward. Her head was a bit uncomfortable from the messy braid that she wore. She traced it with her fingers and frowned at the growing tugging on her hair. Hiccup noticed her problem and scooted closer, taking her braid into his hand.

"Let me," he said quietly as he began to remove the hair tie carefully, afraid he might hurt her if he was too rough. She let go of her braid and let him do his task. He began to remove the tugs slowly and carefully, making sure every now and then that he did not tug too hard.

"I forgot how good you are at it," she whispered and focused on her hands that lay on her lap. He smirked at the comment and slowly worked his way from the tips of her hair to the top.

"Well, you know, there was this blonde girl whom I had to braid her hair for," he said just as quietly. "You want it to the side again?"

She nodded silently and glanced at him. He was looking concentrated, his lips pursed and eyebrows lowered. And suddenly she was seven again and lying beneath him, waiting for him to get over with the hair-braiding.

He was done removing the knots in her hair and began to braid it.

"You're really careful with my hair," she noticed as he would always touch her hair with gentle and caring hands.

"Because your hair is beautiful. Wouldn't want it to get mistreated since it's a part of you," he answered and was halfway done with the braid. "So? Why did you kiss me?" he asked again, knowing she could not flee while he was holding her hair. She stayed silent for a while and Hiccup thought that maybe she would never answer his question until she raised her voice. "Well, I wanted to know how it felt like, kissing," she said and did not look at him.

"Well, Snotlout kissed you," he pointed out.

"Urgh, don't remind me. That was nothing but disgusting," she growled and shivered at the memory. Hiccup could not help but smile at her clear disgust over her shared kiss with his cousin. He was nearly done braiding her hair; however, he slowed down in order to keep her in his grasp.

"So kissing me doesn't disgust you?" he asked smugly and grinned at her. She snapped her head at him and frowned. "No! Kissing you was… it was…"

"Yes?" he teased her and took her hair tie.

"It was nice…" she admitted and played with her hands. He smirked and tied her hair but he still held it. He looked at her profile and smiled. She was still the same after ten long years. She was just as violent as before, if the waking-punch was any indication. She was as shy as before in her own way and she was as illogical as before. That girl simply did not make any sense. The only thing that changed was that she became even more beautiful. She did not wear as much make-up as the other girls normally would at her age. Her skin was smooth and soft, a little bit pale though. And then there were her eyes, as if he was lost in a wide ocean whenever he locked eyes with her. His gaze wandered downwards to her lips. They were a soft pink and he unconsciously leaned in.

"You still want to know how kissing feels like?" he asked. She looked at him and then at his lips that were already slightly agape. She did not answer, she could not. Her voice was stuck in her throat and all she could do was watch as he approached her ever so slowly. He raised a hand and cupped her cheek, caressing it with his thumb as he angled his head to the right. Her mind stopped working and all she did next was on pure instinct. She angled her head to the right as well and closed her eyes, waiting for the touch that would connect them both.

The first thing she felt was the stubble of his chin on hers. The next thing was his nose that pressed into her cheek. And the last thing were his lips. Every touch of his skin on hers sent fire burning through her body. It was gentle, slow, soft and… loving. He held her as if she was something that would break easily if handled too rough. Then his lips began to move and she did the same. Her heart beat faster with each passing second and she felt as if someone had turned on the temperature in the room. As if out of reflex, she raised her arms and put them around his neck, drawing him closer. She wanted more of it, more of the blissful sensation, more of him.

Without realizing, she crawled onto his lap and pressed her lips against his, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow. In response, he took his hand away from her cheek and laid both his arms around her waist. He angled one of his arms to press it into her back, pressing her body closer to his. He could feel her breathing as her chest rose in a rhythm of a love song against his. He felt one of her hands burying into his hair as she nipped at his bottom lip. They both pulled away for a short moment to look at each other.

They could feel the other one inhale and exhale. Their eyes were filled with blind love and desire for each other. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't-" he began to stutter but was interrupted with another soft kiss.

"Don't be sorry for something I've been waiting years for," she answered as she bit lightly on his bottom lip again. He grinned sheepishly at her before he kissed her again. "So… you've been waiting years for this, huh?" he asked her as he caressed her cheek. She smiled at him and tangled her fingers in his hair, playing with it. "Yes, I've been waiting for it."

* * *

 **A/N:**

No words for this. I don't have an opinion on this chapter, I really don't. You got one?

* * *

Date of Update: 22nd September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~KeGzZ**


	12. Chapter 12 - Busted

**Chapter 12 – Busted**

* * *

"So? Are you ready to go to BDA?" Hiccup asked as he held her close to him, sliding his hand over her back in a reassuring gesture. She pulled away a bit and gave him a soft smile.

"Yeah. My dad has already signed the contract," she answered as she scooted closer. The feelings she held for him over the years could now be shown openly. She would not let go of him any moment soon, that was for sure.

"Which class will you be in?"

"Class one."

"Same here."

He was still excited. He could not help it. How could he? He had waited years to feel the warmth of her skin as he touched her. Well, right now he only felt the leather of his jacket that she wore but it was still more than before. But what surprised him the most was that she held the same feelings towards him. He had expected her to have no interest in him, or for her to have a boyfriend at least. He thought that she saw him as a good friend at best. But never could he have imagined her being his lover in reality. And still, here they were, making out on the couch in another good friend's house.

Well, lover was not the right term. They were… what were they? He had kissed her and she had returned it. The actions spoke for themselves, he guessed. But he was still unsure how to call them. They were not simply friends anymore - they were more. Soulmates? That did not fit either. Even if they may have a similar dance style, they still were the complete opposite of each other. While she would head straight into the wall and bust it down, he would turn around and search for another way. That was also the reason why their meeting was special.

Imagine that he was stood with his back to a very tall wall, already retreating into the world he had created for himself until the girl came crashing through the wall, stumbling out of the bush.

Surprise was and understatement. He was more afraid than surprised. In his private elementary school, he had been bullied by his classmates. The only thing that kept him alive was the knowledge that after school, he would be able to do whatever he wanted. That was the reason why he was so afraid of her. Afraid, that she might be the same as those classmates. Afraid, that his only hideout would vanish. Afraid, she might be one of them.

However, she proved him that not everyone on this world was mean and bad. She talked to him, listened to him, heck, she even learned from him. He still remembered the day when she forced him to teach her a move that he has been practicing that time. For the first time he felt accepted and wanted. No one could blame him that he would fall in love with her.

He stared at her grown-up form. Her blonde hair was longer, her chest wider and her curves… gods, her curves! His hands followed the spot where his eyes lay on.

"You really are beautiful…" he said quietly as he realized what he just did. "Sorry, I- it was-" he began but she hushed him before he could finish his apology.

"Would you stop apologizing for everything that you say?" she asked him annoyed and poked with her finger at his chest. "I don't mind getting complimented, you know?"

He grinned sheepishly at her and repeated the sentence with more confidence, "You are beautiful."

She blushed and smirked, hugging him with all her might.

"You have a nice ass," she whispered playfully in his ear.

"What?" he asked dumbfounded as he tried to pull back in order to see her face. Did she just really say that with a straight face? She grinned mischievously at him as she beheld his face. She loved to tease him. That fact has never changed. An idea struck her when her mind began to get rather dirty and perverted. She was a bit ashamed of herself that she could think of such things but then again, Ruffnut proved to her every single time that she was harmless in comparison to her crazy friend's preferences.

She leaned in again, kissing his jaw, as she gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. Then she placed her lips close to his ear.

"You know what I've been thinking about when you disappeared?" she asked seductively and placed her hand over his chest. "I've been wondering what you'd look like." Her hands slid lower to his stomach. His eyes widened and he gulped at the burning heat that flowed from her touch throughout his body right down to his crotch.

"I've been lying awake on my bed, fantasizing what you might do to me if we ever were to get together," she continued as her hand reached his navel. His mind went blank and he stopped breathing without realizing it. He unconsciously dug his fingers into her back and buried his nose into her shoulder. Her hand slipped underneath his tank top when her fingers curled themselves around the hair that she could feel beneath his navel. Then she pulled her face back to look at him. His eyes were half-closed, clouded and full of… lust. She _was_ seducing him after all.

When she scooted closer again, she could feel something hard stab at her inner thigh. She looked down to find him hard and tight between his legs. When she turned her eyes to him, he avoided her stare as he blushed furiously. The burning heat crawled back to his throat as she placed her lip on it, kissing and then sucking it afterwards. He tried to keep as calm as possible though. He did not want to rush things when they finally got together, more or less. And then they were kissing again, their lips glued to each other, not getting enough of the warmth and comfort that the other party provided. It did not last long though, as they heard a door open.

"You think they're still sleeping?" a sweet feminine voice asked.

"Probably. Although it doesn't seem like it, since everything's cleaned up and such," a deeper and huskier voice responded. Hiccup and Astrid froze as they heard the voice drawing closer.

"They're still upstairs, I think- What are you do-?" the feminine voice asked which was followed by a silent moan, still audible to Hiccup and Astrid though. The next thing they beheld was a black-haired guy hugging a blue-haired girl, kissing her. When the couple pulled away to open their eyes, they gasped as they realized that they were not alone.

Hiccup's jaw dropped as Astrid's eyes widened. Stormfly and Toothless looked at each other and pulled away immediately. They were standing stiff next to each other, until Stormfly kicked him, which caused him to lose his balance as he fell over. Then Hiccup and Astrid snapped out of it and pulled away as well, sitting next to each other, both looking at the opposite direction. Hiccups grabbed a pillow that laid on the couch and put it on his lap, hiding his erection. Toothless stood up as he rubbed the spot where his lover had just kicked him. "Ouch… could've warned me beforehand," he snorted as he looked to his best friend sitting on the couch.

"D-Did you both just kiss?" Hiccup asked, biting his tongue at the beginning of his sentence. He was still nervous from the make-out session with Astrid.

"Don't you dare tell anyone, or I'll call the rest of the Crew over, make sure that you have no room to flee and pull away that pillow when they arrive!" Stormfly threatened and stared warning daggers at both him and Astrid. The blonde just raised her hand in surrender and shook her head while Hiccup made a gesture with his hand, as if he had zipped his mouth shut.

"Well, you both aren't that innocent yourself, aren't you?" Toothless commented as he leaned at the doorframe, pointing with his finger to the two on the couch.

"By the way, you owe me five bucks since I was right. Told you that parties have a magical effect," he said to Stormfly, who took out her purse. She in response just rolled her eyes as he grinned victorious at her while accepting the price that he won.

"So… how long has that been going on between you two?" Hiccup asked his two friends. Stormfly just blushed and Toothless stared at him with a thoughtful face, totally oblivious to the topic.

"Erm… maybe… two years?" Toothless said, more like a question, as he turned to Stormfly for confirmation. She nodded and looked up to Hiccup, whose jaw dropped… again.

"You've been keeping this a secret for _two whole years_?!" he asked, not believing what Toothless said.

"Hey! I can't just go up to you guys and tell you how happy I am after you rejected Heather!" Stormfly argued and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wait- what?!"

"Yeah. Heather was heartbroken while you made no sign of ever looking at anybody but that blonde there," Toothless explained as he pointed to Astrid. "And you both were acting really strange and awkward for a few months, so Stormfly and I decided to keep it a secret for the time being. And you know how Barf and Belch react to such news."

Astrid blushed at the revelation of Hiccup's business concerning Heather and stayed silent. Hiccup closed and opened his mouth repeatedly before he closed it for good.

"But it's been two years… when did you intend to tell us?" he mumbled, offended that his best friend did not tell him about this. Toothless just rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Haven't thought about it," was his only response to it.

"And who else knows about it?" Hiccup asked as he tried to find a comfortable position with his erection under his pillow.

"No one I guess-"

"Meatlug knows," Stormfly cut in and looked at Toothless. "Remember the victory party three months ago?"

"Ah, yeah…" Toothless played with the tip of his hair, embarrassed about the memory.

"Meatlug knows?" Hiccup asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep. She barged in our room when things got really worked up and heated. That idiot forgot to lock the door," Stormfly admitted meekly, "And she knew anyway. Said it was obvious and that it only confirmed her speculation."

"Why, excuse me. It's not like it is my job to make sure every door is locked whenever you try to jump on me," Toothless snipped in sarcastically.

" _Anyway_ , except Meatlug, nobody knows," Stormfly confirmed again, ignoring his accusion.

It was too much to handle. Too much happened in the past few hours, leaving him exhausted and tired. He was actually happy that he finally got the girl that he dreamed of every so often. And he was more than eager to touch her more until both his best friends barged into their private moment, just to find out that they have been going out for two years. He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes in order to sort out his thoughts.

"Erm… Hiccup?" Astrid asked as she played shyly with her braid, a little bit messy again after their heated make-out session. He turned to look at her, "Yes?"

"Would it hurt to keep _this_ a secret for the time being too?" she asked, gesturing to the both of them. Stormfly and Toothless were chuckling as they watched them converse awkwardly with each other.

"No, not really. Why though?"

"My dad doesn't accept me being in a relationship with anyone. And if Snotlout gets wind of it then I'm sure that my dad will do everything in his might to keep me away from you. Ruffnut and Tuffnut may be good friends, but they can't keep their mouths shut," she explained and groaned at the mention of Snotlout. Hiccup smiled softly at her and nodded.

"Okay, I won't tell anyone. And you," he turned to the couple standing at the door, "You will keep silent as well." It was more a command than a request, though both did not seem to have a problem with it. Then they heard a shout from upstairs and a door flinging open as it crashed with the wall behind it. It seemed like the sleepyheads upstairs were awake at last. Hiccup used that opportunity to make his escape.

"If you guys would excuse me, I have some business that I have to take care of," he said as he moved the pillow away, standing up and going to the bathroom.

Stormfly and Toothless just grinned at Astrid who in response blushed and avoided their gaze, too embarrassed to explain what caused Hiccup's _problem_. Yep, they would not let her live that down.

* * *

 **A/N:**

So… I'm sorry again for the delay. Thing is, I'm preparing for college right now and this coming weekend, I'm going to move into the city where I'm going to study. I don't know if I will be able to update or not, but I know that I won't have Wi-Fi or the internet for the next two weeks (or a month?).

Another thing is that yesterday I've been working on the cover for this fanfiction because I did not want to use the art of someone else as my own. If time allows it, the cover might be finished this week. Then you'll be able to see how Hiccup looks like or how I imagine him to look like. I will probably upload it on tumblr where I also take requests for FanArt and such.

I will keep on thinking about the plot though and will write it down whenever the time presents itself. And if I have internet again, I will make sure to update as fast as possible.

Next thing, some of you misunderstood the 8th chapter, so it seems. I just ignored the first review but then others who were similar to it came up so I decided to clear things up. Yes, Snotlout did kiss Astrid and yes she did not pull away. Thing is, if you dance for a long time, you'll get just as tired as if you would play volley seriously for an hour. It gets to your arm and legs and you just don't have the power to do anything for a while. Even if you wanted, the body would not react. I've already experienced this so trust me. Snotlout hasn't done much which was why he had more power over Astrid than she'd like to admit.

And Hiccup did not see how she beat up Snotlout for he turned away to erase the image out of his mind. Read the chapter again if you must.

Again, I apologize for the delay and thank you for taking your time in reading this fanfiction.

* * *

Date of Update: 24th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	13. Chapter 13 - I do

**Chapter 13 – I do**

* * *

Nothing much happened after Hiccup took care of his… problem. Ruffnut had descended the stairs, hanging closely at Eret's arm and walking next to him was Tuffnut. They did not suspect anything when Hiccup came out of the bathroom, which made Toothless grin nonetheless though.

The group ate breakfast while they talked and laughed. Everything was peaceful and relaxed until Hiccup insisted on taking Astrid home personally. The awkward atmosphere returned as they walked next to each other silently. On the outside, they were just walking, holding a straight face to the outside, but on the inside, they were both flying high in the clouds, remembering that neither of them had to wait anymore.

However, that did not lessen the tension in the air since they were both new to that kind of relationship. When both arrived at the front door of her house, Astrid hesitated before she turned to him. Hiccup could not identify what she felt or thought. She was waiting for something, or maybe she herself wanted to say something but she could not get a word out of her mouth. She bit her lip and frowned. And then she looked at him again, finding him staring at her with worry and confusion.

"Thank you…" she managed to whisper and turned around, going for her door when suddenly Hiccup grabbed her wrist and yanked her back to him, hugging her. She felt how her fear of what lay behind the door vanished as she listened to his heartbeat. He stroked her back and held her warm in his arms. He did not know what she wanted from him but he suspected there to be something she could not talk about so easily. Therefore, he decided that a hug would do for the time being. He sensed her shoulders relaxing against him as time passed and smiled at the effect of his hug.

"You know you can always talk to me if there's something bothering you. Maybe not now, but someday. I'll be there," he soothed her and continued to stroke her back. She pulled back a bit, smiling gratefully at him and nodding. It disappointed him that he could not hold her longer but he would always push his own desires away when it came to the blonde beauty in front of him. She then turned around and opened the door, entering and disappearing from his sight. He stood there for a while until he turned his back to the house, making his way back to The Cove.

Days passed as both Hiccup and Astrid continued to meet each other with the Crew. To their surprise, Ruffnut always came along with her brother. She said that she could not let her best friend go alone into a cove full of wild and dangerous animals who could always turn back at her and rape her. Yes, that is Ruffnut for you. The real reason was obvious though. She just wanted to be near Eret as long as she could and her brother found it rather amusing how his sister made a fool out of herself so he always tagged along.

Hiccup and Astrid never showed their affection for each other in the presence of the Crew as did Stormfly and Toothless, but those two were already used to it anyway. What everyone, or rather everyone except Eret, Heather and Toothless, feared the most actually came true. Ruffnut and Tuffnut became friends with Barf and Belch really quickly after they head-butted themselves. It was a strange ritual that Barf and Belch came up with, and so far, Hiccup was the only one to go along with them, which earned him their utmost trust.

After the four of them found out about their own craziness, The Cove seemed more dangerous than ever before. The Crew had to stay on guard the whole time to prevent them from causing another catastrophe after the other. The only one who gladly accepted the chaos was Eret, who was lucky that the twins were the only ones to distract Tuffnut and his insane sister. Astrid was always laughing and smiling, happy that her friends and her lover were with her, but deep inside, she had other things to worry about. It was Sunday morning and Astrid grew more tense and nervous as the days had passed.

The last time she saw her father was when he signed the contract for her. She was glad that she was not beat up as much as before but still, it did not ease her mind at all. Her father has not come home for a week now. She thought that maybe he just was not at home when she was. Maybe they just passed each other by a few minutes or a few seconds. However, the last three days, she had taken a closer look at the surrounding. Nothing was touched or slightly moved. Everything was at its rightful place. Even the six bottles of beer were still standing in the fridge, and that had to mean something. Normally she was afraid to call her father because he would _punish_ her whenever she interrupted him in something. This time though, curiosity went ahead of her. She had dialed the number before she realized what she had done and held the phone to her ear. She waited minutes before it automatically clicked off. She dialed again and repeated the process another few times. Her father never answered and that worried her even more. The anxiety grew as another couple of days passed until she could not take it anymore.

She was on her way to the forest, where she would dance with Hiccup in order to forget about it. But this time she did not go there to forget, but to ask for advice. When she arrived, her ears were met with a soothing melody. Hiccup was lying on the ground, his arms and legs spread out and his eyes closed. Her heart jumped at the sight that greeted her as she closed in. Hiccup opened his eyes when he felt a shadow hovering over him. He smiled at her softly as he sat up.

"Hello M'lady," he greeted her and patted on the grass next to him. She sat down on that spot and pulled her knees to her chest, just like the first time she had met him. He knew that posture and frowned.

"What's the problem?" he asked worried.

Her father has not been home, which was good since she was not hit as often as used to. It has been a long time since her body had no bruises at all. But she was still worried about him. She did not know where to begin to explain. Hiccup noticed her thoughtful gaze and waited patiently for her to sort out her feelings and problems. Then, after a few minutes, she seemed to be ready.

"My father hasn't been home for over a week," she said quietly.

"Maybe you're just passing each other?" he suggested. Nevertheless, she shook her head and stared at the grass.

"No… I had the same thought and that's why I paid closer attention to the things in our house. Nothing was moved or used. Everything stayed the same. Everything was in the same spot. He was never home to begin with. I even called him, but no one picked up!" She raised her voice as her explanation went on, sounding more frustrated than she actually was. She was waving furiously with her hands, as if it would show him the chaos that occupied her heart.

"When was the last time you saw him?" he asked, staying as neutral as possible in order to keep her calm. Someone had to play the strong and reasonable part.

"It was… It was when he signed my contract for attending Berk Dance Academy. He was awfully quiet as well. He… he didn't even hit me! Don't misunderstand, I don't like being hit… but it was odd for him not to-" she told him, holding her head as if it would ease the pain that dreaded to overcome her when Hiccup suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"He still hits you?" he asked in a low and deep voice. He frowned at her and pursed his lips. "I thought he stopped doing that."

"He never stopped…" she said quietly as she shook her head. "And it's not about him hitting me or not! It's about him disappearing all of a sudden!"

Hiccup raised his hands in surrender as to signal her that he did not mean any offense towards her father. He knew that he was the only family that she had left but it still bothered him that the girl he loved was physically abused by her own family. Then again, he presumed that being physically abused was still better than mentally. While the body can always recover, the mind needs twice or more time to heal. Moreover, the mind could never be fully healed, only partly. There would always be a part, which stayed tainted and hurt. It was something you could never recover from, if you do not have someone next to you who could mend the pain.

"You should concentrate on BDA first. Your father still might come back home tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Moreover, it would do you no good if you worry about it the whole time while you won't get an answer soon anyway," Hiccup reasoned as he stroke her back. She sighed and leaned on his shoulder, closing her eyes. She focused on the warmth that his body emitted and counted his breaths while she felt his chest rising and sinking in a rhythm that soothed her heart. She really did love him. She loved the way he comforted her, the way he calmed her down with reasonable arguments, the way he looked at her and the way he treasured her.

"Hiccup?" she whispered and opened her eyes a bit, looking at his hands that lay on his lap.

"Hm?"

"Can I join your Crew?" she asked and looked up to him. She had expected him to reject her, to sigh and think of a way to tell her no, but he did not. Instead, he smiled at her and lowered his head, snatching a gentle kiss from her lips.

"Sure," he answered and chuckled upon seeing her clouded eyes.

"You're not against it?"  
"Why would I?"

"You… when Stormfly asked me to join, you just gave me this skeptical look. I thought that you didn't want me to join because I wasn't good enough."

Hiccup laughed at that and grinned. Of course, she had to just think that way. He hugged her and buried his face into her neck.

"Erm… Hiccup?"

"You're so sweet," he complimented her as he smelled the sweet shampoo that she probably used to shower before she came into the forest. He wanted to taste it but told himself that it had to wait. They were talking about a serious matter after all.

"I didn't say anything because it _is_ an illegal show that we're running. I didn't want to drag you into our mess. If people found out about it, our Crew would be the first one they would want to sue. We're already a little secret organization, even if it doesn't look like it. Our Crew and everyone who lives in the underground hall, we're all a big family. Especially for the orphans. The orphanage would take them away and the police would take us to prison in worst case. And it doesn't make it easier that Snotlout's father is the head of the police main station."

Astrid was surprised, if not overwhelmed even. She did suspect that Hiccup had something to do in those ten years but she had never expected it to be such a big act. It sounded like a fairytale to kids, a dream to people who lost their home and a crime to the police. For her, it sounded like Hiccup was too good of a person for her. Did she really deserve it to stay next to him? She began to doubt herself but that did not hold on long for she was a person who would accept every challenge thrown at her. If she thought that she did not deserve him, she just had to make herself a person who was. First, she would prove to everyone that she was worth at least a chance. The Crew probably did not mind her at all but it was her own egoistical pride and ambition to get better, to be the best.

"Do you still want to join?" Hiccup asked her, waiting patiently for the answer that was to come. She just smiled at him and cupped his cheeks, locking her eyes with his before she closed them and pulled him down to her, kissing him softly, ever so gently.

"I do."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Alright, it seems like I got some problems concerning my college, for better or for worse. But it gave me the time to write this chapter and yeah.

Those who haven't noticed yet, I finally got my own cover! I drew the lines and a friend of mine helped me with the colors and shades. (I suck at coloring.) To those who want to check it out, I uploaded it on tumblr. ( .com)

Just replace the real dot and without space, and you should be able to see. Warning though, I don't have much FanArt yet, since I can't draw if there is no clear picture in my head. Of course I might try drawing an idea, but if I'm not that eager to make it a masterpiece, then it would only end up as a shitty doodle.

Anyway, that is how I imagine Hiccup in my FanFiction. What do you think?

And, not to forget: Thank you for reading again!

* * *

Date of Update: 27th September 2015 (Rewritten)

 **~ KeGzZ**


	14. Chapter 14 - School, Girls, Struggles

**Chapter 14 – School, Girls, Struggles**

They were gathered at the assembly hall, waiting for the one who was supposed to start with introduction. Then a dark brown-haired and tall man came up to the lectern. He adjusted his tie and jacket before he held up his hand in a fist in front of his mouth in order to clear his throat.

"Welcome to Berk Dance Academy! I am Mr. Clay, your principal. I have the pleasure of greeting the most talented generation of this academy for BDA never had three students in the same year to reach a perfect score in the audition before. You will be divided into three classes, each having around 15 students or more. You all should have received a letter with your class and room number in it. This building hast three floors, if you haven't noticed yet, and each room on each floor has its floor number as the first digit. For example, class one will go to room 101, which means that the room is on the second floor. If the room number would be 201, then the room would be on the third floor. You will get used to the building soon. In those rooms, your teacher will await you and will go through the formalities with you together. If you have questions, then ask them your teacher. They will be the ones who will guide you the next three years. Alright, that's it from me and I hope you will enjoy your first day in BDA. Thank you."

The principal presented a modest bow and turned away from the lectern. The 50 students soon began to scatter as they searched for their room. Hiccup and Astrid walked next to each other, talking and laughing in a small volume. The others who were in the same class as them both, either stared daggers into their back or watched them silently with a skeptical look.

When they arrived and opened the door, they found themselves in a typical classroom. There were tables, chairs, and a teacher's desk. Everyone took a seat as they waited for their teacher to arrive. After a while, groups could be made out as the new students made friends with each other. For some reason, they never approached Hiccup or Astrid though. Suddenly the door opened and everyone turned their gaze to the person who came in. It was Mr. Clay, adjusting his tie again as he slid his hand through his hair. He looked around the room, marking each student who was to be under his surveillance. He cleared his throat and wanted to say something when a small blonde girl came bursting through the door.

"I'm sorry for being late-" she said out of breath and was supporting herself on the knees. Seems like she ran at full speed to make it in time. Mr. Clay gave her a cold smile, signaling her to take a seat. She hurried to the next free place that she could reach and sat down. Mr. Clay turned his attention to the whole class.

"Now. This may be your first day in BDA but remember this. I do _not_ tolerate students who can't be on time. This is an elite school. Here are only the best of the best. You were chosen by our school personally and I expect you to give it your all to honor us. Am I understood?" he said with a stern look and a fierce voice. Everyone nodded, some giving the blonde girl a judging gaze. Hiccup and Astrid could care less that she came late. They were more bothered about who she actually was. The last time Hiccup saw her, it was on the dancefloor, battling the Bog Burglars – Camicazi.

"Alright, as you can see, I will be your teacher for the next three years. I have the pleasure of drawing the potential out of three exceptional students, which means, that I'm going to put you all through hell," he said grinning. He went on with the introduction and mentioned the formalities. What they are allowed to do, what they are not, where they can eat and practice, and when they are to be at school. He gave out the schedule before he dismissed them. The first day was actually a 'look-around-day'.

* * *

"Urgh… I thought that I would never have to practice ballet again until I really need to," Hiccup groaned as he went over his schedule, "I mean, come on. Be it as it may, ballet's still hell in itself. Do you know how long it took me to perfect a fucking pirouette? Or a barre! Do you know how much it hurts to get your leg even close to the bar?"

"Wow… that was an awful pun, even if you didn't intend it. And here I thought you did everything with ease," Astrid snorted as she listened to his rambling.

"Hey!" both heard as they looked up and around. A blonde girl ran up to them and huffed, "Gods. I was afraid that stiff ballet psychos would surround me for the next few years. Thank god, there are some decent people in this academy as well." She then stood up as she lay her hands on her hip. She checked Hiccup out, looking from his head to toe. "Night fury, was it?" she asked.

"Yeah, _Cami_ ," he emphasized her name as if it would mean something more. She just grinned and understood.

"Well, since we're in the same class and stuff, I will hang out with you, if you don't mind?" she directed her question more to Astrid than to the both of them. There was something that Astrid did not like about her but she could not just say it aloud without a good reason, so she just shrugged and nodded, "I don't mind." She turned her head to look at Hiccups response, who just shrugged and nodded as well.

"I really don't want to be a bitch, but could you tell me why you're so relaxed and open to each other? Didn't you battle the last time you saw each other?" Astrid asked, really curious if there might have been a past with Cami just like the one he had with Heather. However, the persons in question just looked at each other and laughed.

"That's not necessary, really. We've known each other for a long time now," Hiccup said, waving it off as a small matter.

So they _did_ know each other, for a long time at that. It was stupid to question every girl who was close to Hiccup in any way, but she could not help it. While she lost ten years of actually being together with Hiccup, other girls got the opportunity to spend time with him. She was jealous… and a bit envious. She wanted to catch up to the lost time, wanted to show him what she had accomplished. But overall, she wanted him to look at her, pay attention only to her. It was egoistical, and she knew, but she could not help it. She had waited too long to meet him again. She had waited too long, unable to lose him another time. She bit her lip and clenched her fist. Alone the thought of losing him again was enough to set her on edge. Cami noticed her gestures and smirked.

"Don't worry. Our parents knew each other and we somehow were stuck with each other. End of story," she said calmly, holding up a collected face. Astrid looked at her as if she had grown a second head. She expected the small blonde to be mischievous, deceitful even, but not so… mature. Astrid found herself a bit torn between doubting her and admiring her. Of course, she would never admit that she admired anybody but Hiccup. He was an exception. He already was, when they first met. Astrid nodded to Cami, who did the same in appreciation. It was a language that only the girls understood, which was the reason why Hiccup found himself clueless between the two blondes again. He would ask her later, maybe.

"Anyway, I just hope that you won't steal anything from me-"

"You mean this?" Cami asked as she held up his purse. Hiccup grabbed into his pockets and found them empty, rolling his eyes. Then he stretched out his hand and Cami gave it back to him.

" _Thanks_ ," he said sarcastically. He checked his purse and frowned, holding his hand out to her again. Cami just laughed and drew out fifty bucks from her sleeve, giving it to him.

"I would be more at ease if you wouldn't always steal my stuff," Hiccup criticized her and turned back to Astrid. "Don't trust her. She will do the same to you. Look out for your belongings-" Astrid was grabbing Cami's wrist when she tried to use the distraction to her advantage, stealing stuff from Astrid. However, that idea ended up fruitless. Cami grinned at her and took back her hand. Astrid smirked at her, as if she was victorious.

"I like your focus," Cami said in respect, deeming Astrid worthy of her company. Astrid just crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked in pride and acceptance.

"Yeah, never mind," Hiccup spoke out, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Seems like I don't need to worry about you."

"You were _worried_ about me?" Astrid asked, grinning even broader now. Hiccup blushed and turned his head away. "No?" he squeezed out of his throat. Astrid held up her grin as she took a step closer to him, bending down a bit, trying to get his eyes on her. He always turned his gaze away and pushed her away.

"Get a room, will ya?" Cami snorted. "Let's check out the facility. I want to know where we can get the food. Food is important. Food is love. Food is-"

"Life," Astrid added and sighed in bliss, thinking about all kinds of food that she would like to eat right that moment.

"Yes," Cami hissed through her teeth as she too joined the dreamland of food.

Hiccup just raised an eyebrow and waved with his hand in front of their faces, snipping his fingers. When they did not seem to get out of it any time soon, he decided to take a stroll first, taking in everything that could help him to orientate himself later. He would never understand why women loved food so much. If they loved it so much, they should just eat it. At least that was what he did. And he never seemed to get fat. So of course, he would never be able to understand the struggle of a girl, having to resist food that she so dearly wants to dine.

He was looking forward to spending some time with Astrid, actually, but when Cami appeared, he knew that his hopes were for naught. Although it did not bother him that much. It would be good to have a change of pace sometimes, and Cami was always full of surprises. Well, he will have his time with her when they return to their forest, because that was the only place where they would be alone. It was holy – it was sacred.

Later the two girls caught up to him and were already talking about all kinds of food.

"You know, if you like food so much, why don't you just, like, eat it?"

Both girls stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

"Do you know how hard it is to keep this figure?" Cami argued as she gestured to her body.

"Not to mention, how fast you gain weight if you eat more than normally?" Astrid added, also gesturing to Cami's body.

"Well, I can eat tons of meals and I wouldn't gain weight. That's a problem that I have since my birth," he said, having no clue of their struggles.

Both girls began mumble something that sounded like… were they cursing him? He tried to take his distance from them as they frowned at him.

"You lucky asshole," Cami finally spat as she resumed her tour around the building.

"You know that I don't mean it, but… you lucky asshole!" Astrid said as she punched his arm.

"What was that for?!" he groaned as he rubbed the spot where she had hit him.

"For eating so much without gaining weight," she answered as a matter-of-fact.

"And where's the kiss?"

"There's no reason to kiss you," she said and watched as his face fell, disappointed he would not get the usual treat. She closed the gap between them as she pulled him at his shirt, meeting his lips with hers and kissing him ever so fiercely. When she pulled away, he grinned at her.

"I thought there's no reason to kiss me?" he asked smugly.

"Because I don't need a reason to kiss you," she responded with a bright smile, letting him go.

"Seriously, get a room you two," Cami hissed as she rolled her eyes.

The couple just laughed as they followed Cami, getting a really close look at the cafeteria before they went home with a satisfied look – the girls, that is.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it and again, as always, thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 29th September 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	15. Chapter 15 - The promise

**Chapter 15 – The promise**

Hiccup told Astrid to go home without him, which was unusual since he would always insist on getting her home personally. She did not doubt him, she was not jealous, but she was worried. So what did she decide on? Yes, she would follow him. She wore a hoody to hide her blonde hair and shades. Hiccup was getting on a bus and she soon got on as well. They were driving for at least half an hour. At one of the stops, she thought that Hiccup was more than tense but shrugged it off as a mere imagination.

That proved to be wrong when suddenly Hiccup jumped out of the bus just before the doors closed. Astrid stood up as she looked out of the window. Hiccup was grinning at her, waving and then turning away. She cursed and clicked her tongue when she realized that Hiccup had just tricked her. Whatever he was doing or wherever he was going, he clearly did not want her to find out about it, which made her even more curious now. But for the time being, she had no choice but to accept the fact that she had lost sight of him. She sighed and sat down again. She would ask him later about it.

Hiccup was still on guard. Even if he had just tricked Astrid, there was still a slim chance that she was still following him. So he took the long way around, turning at every third corner until he was absolutely sure that he was alone. He was heading for the one place that he would only turn to if necessary. He entered the large building and went to the reception.

"Oh Hiccup, nice to see you. How are you?" the front desk woman asked with a gentle smile.

"I'm fine. Can I meet Officer Jorgenson?" he asked and looked around to search for the person in question.

"He's in a meeting right now but I think it will end soon. You can wait in the office if you want," the woman suggested as she pointed upstairs. Hiccup nodded and thanked her, making his way to his oh so beloved uncle. On his way, colleagues and even the trainees greeted him. He got himself a cup of coffee from the vending machine before he turned to a rather large door in comparison to the rest. He opened it and found the office empty. He placed his bag down next to the couch and went to the window. He looked out to the street, watching cars driving by and away. His thoughts went to the Crew as he remembered an incident that involved both them and the police. It was the first meeting of Snotlout and the Crew – not a pleasant one though.

* * *

" _Where are we going?" Hiccup asked Toothless when they were in an abandoned district. The building were already coming down and the people were all begging on the streets._

" _I want you to meet my friends," the black-haired boy told him as he turned into a small alleyway. It was dark and Hiccup did not like it. The atmosphere was tense and the people on the streets were looking at him as if they would jump at him any moment. The only reason that kept them away from him was probably Toothless who was walking next to him. Then Toothless entered through a hole of a broken down wall. It seemed like a backdoor entrance if Hiccup did not know any better. He was never as afraid as he was now. His friend that he got to know just a week ago was telling him to go through a hole._

 _The thing that frightened him was that he could not see anything beyond that hole. It was pitch black. He gulped and hesitated for a moment before he followed Toothless into the darkness. When he came out of the other side, he could see a dim light in a corner. He could hear chatter and tried to make out where he was currently in. The building was dusty and dark, the windows barricaded with wood and the temperature was even lower than outside. It was simply cold. Hiccup shivered and blew into his hands in order to warm himself up._

" _Where are we?" Hiccup asked again._

" _We call it_ The Cove _," Toothless explained while he led his new friend to the group that surrounded the light. When they were in range, the group turned their heads to the newcomer._

" _Who is that?" the blue-haired girl asked and glared at Hiccup, "You know that the Queen doesn't like trouble."_

" _Especially with those rich kids," a green-haired boy pointed out as he looked at Hiccup's clothes. While the clothes of the group were worn-out, ripped even, while Hiccup's was new and clean. Hiccup blushed out of embarrassment. He felt bad for making them feel inferior in any way. He never wished to be born in a rich family but he was grateful for it when he looked at the kids in his age. Their eyes were sharp and cloudy, telling him that they did not trust anyone besides themselves. They were not proud for their status, nevertheless, they were all the more proud that they were still living, surviving. Hiccup did not understand why his father would not help them. They had the money, the rights even, but his father did nothing._

" _This is Henry. He's safe. We can trust him," Toothless introduced him to his friends. A red-haired boy sat in corner and still glared at Hiccup as if he was the pest itself. "Leave," he said as he kept up his glare. The others around him did not say anything until Toothless glared back at the boy. "I told you. He. Is. Safe," he repeated in a threatening hiss. The blue-haired girl was the first one to raise as she closed the gap between the two boys and herself. Hiccup did not want to get on the bad side of them so he decided to stretch out his hand and introduce himself._

" _I-I'm Henry. Nice to meet you," he said as he waited for her to grab his hand. In his life, it was common sense to take the offered hand out of politeness. The girl though did not seem to take his hand, for various reason it seemed. He closed his eyes and sighed when he thought that she would definitely not take his hand. He retracted his hand slowly when suddenly he felt something warm wrap around his hand. He looked up to find the girl smiling softly at him._

" _Nice to meet you. I'm Stormfly," she said as she shook his hand gently. Hiccup found himself grinning and sighing out of relief. When Toothless had dragged him into the abandoned district, he already thought that it was a bad idea to follow him. The second wave of fear kicked in when Toothless told him that he wanted Hiccup to meet his friends. Hiccup was not used to making friends. He was bullied in school every day and he did not know if Toothless' friends could be the same. It did not stop him from following him though. He had no choice anyway. If he left Toothless' side for even a moment in the abandoned district, the people would surely kidnap him straight after and strip him, selling his clothes in order to get enough money to buy food and drinks for themselves._

 _However, now that at least one of Toothless' friends warmed up to him, he could hope. He thought that maybe, just maybe, they were different. Maybe he could be friends with them, without the violence and bullying._

 _The next day, Toothless could not stop laughing. Hiccup looked ridiculous. He was hiding food and bottles of water under his too large jacket, giving the impression that the boy had too large of a serving. His cheeks were red from the cold and the heavy backpack as well as the food underneath his jacket made it hard for him to move. He walked like a penguin, swaying his body with every step that he took. It was necessary though. If the people around him found out that he snuck food into the district, they will ignore Toothless' position and do whatever they need in order to get their hands on whatever was hidden beneath his jacket. When they entered The Cove, Hiccup sighed out of relief as he sat down to take a break. The kids gathered around him, looking at him with curious eyes when Hiccup pulled out everything that was under his jacket and in his backpack. Six bottles of water and six bags with the signature of Mc's on it including the six cups with coke. They looked at him, curious and obviously hungry, but did not ask him. Maybe he just bought it for himself. They could not assumptions yet. Hiccup looked at them confused._

" _What are you waiting for? Dig in!" Hiccup said with a grin, still huffing from the heavy work. He really had to work on his endurance. The kids looked at each other before they jumped at the food, everybody snatching one bag away. They did not care what each bag contained. All they cared for was that it was the first real food in a long time, and it was still warm. What Hiccup did not expect was what followed after._

 _Meatlug was crying while she bit into the burger. Stormfly did the same and the twins also began to tear up. They were eating in silent as if their life depended on it. Hookfang looked up to Hiccup and back to the burger. "Thank you…," he mumbled before he got back to his meal. Hiccup was shocked. He did know that they were poor, but he never knew that it was that bad._

" _Don't you get to eat this daily?" he asked._

" _Everything we have goes to the Queen. We can only hunt for our things when she's satisfied," Meatlug answered._

" _Who's the Queen?"_

" _She's the one who's in charge of this district. Since this is an abandoned district, people are allowed to do whatever they want. The only reason we weren't robbed yet is because the Queen likes to have children as slaves. And whoever goes against the Queen meets a sudden death," Stormfly explained as she ate her frites. Hookfang was the first one to finish his meal before he stood up and went up to Hiccup. He held out his hand and said, "I'm Hookfang." Hiccup grinned at the boy's introduction and took his hand, shaking it slightly before he pulled back his hand. "Henry," Hiccup answered and smiled. Then the twins came up with and held out their hands._

" _Barf."_

" _Belch."_

 _Hiccup nodded and took their hands as well, and the twins grinned broadly. Then Meatlug came up next while she was fidgeting with her hands. She seemed to be the shy type so Hiccup held out his first and waited for her to approach him. She then made up her mind and took his hand. "I'm Meatlug," the brown-haired girl said shyly, blushing a bit out of embarrassment._

" _Nice to meet you," Hiccup responded as he gave her a friendly smile. The group was surrounding him, grinning and smiling, except Hookfang that is, and welcoming the new friend that Toothless brought along. Then Hiccup began to tear up as well. Their faces fell and turned into a worried glare._

" _What's wrong?" Stormfly asked as she approached him slowly._

 _Hiccup sniffed and rubbed his eyes before he grinned broadly again. "It's nothing. It's just that I'm not really popular in school… so besides Toothless, you're my first friends," he explained. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."_

 _He was still sniffing and rubbing his eyes when Toothless began to hug him. Then Stormfly joined, after that Meatlug, followed by the twin and last but not least by Hookfang. Hiccup grinned and cried again. He never felt so warm and welcomed before so he did not know what to do with this sudden outburst. He could not hold his tears and did not stop to smile. It was the first time that he felt accepted and that he was at the right place. On that day, he promised to treasure his friends and not let go of them. He would protect them in any way that he could and he would find a way to make their lives better. He swore on everything that was dear to him that he would keep his promise. He swore._

* * *

 **A/N:**

Alright. So a little warning. I don't know how long it will take, but the next chapter will be a continuation of the flashback. Just to let you know. It could go another two chapter but yeah, I think it is necessary in order to have more connection from the past to the present, since there are still things that are yet to be revealed.

Anyway, thank you for reading again and I hope you enjoyed it.

Date of Update: 2nd October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	16. Chapter 16 - The least he could do

**Chapter 16 – The least he could do**

" _Alright. So you stand like this- then you do- yes like that, and then-" Hiccup helped the group to learn the first steps of c-walk. When they saw him dance in secret at the back of The Cove, they were mesmerized. They wanted to do the same and since then they had literally forced him to teach them. He did not complain anyway, it was fun. He wanted to dance with friends. Dancing alone was okay, but having company was far more exciting and interesting._

 _Days passed, as he grew closer to the group. Hiccup always sneaked food and drinks with him, mostly from Mc's, and gave the kids hope and light in their life that seemed so black and dark for years. Even Hookfang eventually warmed up to him, eager to learn some steps too. The only thing that they did not know was that Snotlout had been spying on them. He often lost track of the group, but that very day, Snotlout managed to follow them to The Cove. It was just a game at first, to see what his little cousin was up to again._

 _Strangely enough, since he was born, he loved to pick a fight with everybody, especially those who were weak. And the weakest one that he knew was Hiccup. He made sure to always pick on him whenever he had the chance. That was also the reason why Hiccup got bullied in elementary school. Parents warned their kids to not get in the way of Snotlout, which resulted in them actually siding with Snotlout. It was hell. When you have never done anything wrong and suddenly you are an outcast for god-knows-what reason. That was also why he treasured the group. They accepted him and liked him for who he was._

 _Snotlout was hiding behind one of the pillars. He snorted when he saw what Hiccup was actually showing them, or rather, teaching them. It seemed like his cousin actually had friends. It was nothing to be surprised about, but he never expected it. In elementary school, everyone would always side with him, which resulted in leaving Hiccup alone as an outcast. He never paid attention before, but for some reason he did not like the fact that his cousin actually did have friends. Maybe he should show the kids what it meant to be friends with his_ target _, as Snotlout likes to call it._

 _He came out of his hiding spot and waited for them to notice him. Toothless was the first to notice him, then the group, and then Hiccup as the last one. Hiccup froze when he saw Snotlout and stopped whatever he was doing. "S-Snotlout, w-what are you doing here?" Hiccup asked confused and shocked at the same time. This was not good. If Snotlout found out about his friends, he would not hesitate to ruin his life again._

" _Well, I was_ worried _about my dear cousin! Whenever I looked for you after school, you would disappear into nothing. So I decided to follow you. I mean, we can't have you wander around alone in this district now, can we?"_

 _The group watched as their friend did not move from his spot. They did not know what was going on and decided to stay out of the matter first. But as far as they knew, the strange boy had no good will. Snotlout moved towards Hiccup, holding out his chest in a prideful gesture. Hiccup still did not move. Toothless began to worry when his friend seemed to be out of it. Why did he not move? It was something like an instinct, but Toothless felt something close to bloodlust coming from the young boy that was currently approaching his friend. The whole group sensed it but none of them moved. The boy was Hiccup's cousin, right? There was be no way that family would hurt each other, right?_

 _Snotlout halted in front of Hiccup while the thin boy just stared at the ground, not daring to look up to his cousin. "Hey, do you know how he's called in school?" Snotlout asked the group with a confident smirk. He began to poke Hiccup in his side, waiting for a response from his cousin. Hiccup however just stood there and hoped for it to end as soon as possible. When Snotlout started to push him and pull at his clothes, the group got uneasy and were already on their toes. "He's called Hiccup. Shall I show you why he is called like that?" Snotlout asked them again. He was sure that the group knew who he was. Everybody was supposed to know who he was. That was why he could do anything without people talking back to him. His father had the connections. He only had to cry and call out the names and those people would have their life turned upside down. Then he decided to tease him more and pushed him to the ground, standing above him with a wicked grin._

 _"I only teased him a bit and people did the same. We only wanted to have some fun with him. One time we were going to an open bath and the boys in our class were diving out of fun. We thought that maybe we could get him to dive and helped out a bit. Turned out he couldn't even hold his breath for at least a minute, so we wanted to train him and forced him to dive. After he got to the surface, he was suddenly crying and coughing, even hiccupping, so long that we gave him the nickname, and somehow, it stuck."_

 _Hiccup was still staring at the ground. He never did anything wrong. He followed the rules, paid attention in school, tried not to anger anyone unnecessary. Yet why… why was his cousin trying to make his life a living hell? He did not understand. All he knew was that, as long as he kept quiet, he would eventually get off it._

 _Toothless did not like how his friend was treated and walked towards his friend to back him up. "He doesn't like it. You're making him uncomfortable," he said to the boy. "Stop it."_

" _I'm just having fun here. You should have fun too," Snotlout argued as he gestured him to join into his acts. However, Toothless had no intention in hurting his friend for fun._

" _This is not fun. This is you bullying him."_

" _There's no difference either way. It's fun, I tell you! Come one, don't be a tease. Just do it and you'll know what I mean."_

" _The only thing I see is that my friend is hurt."_

 _Snotlout was annoyed. It was not supposed to be like this. They should have joined him when he told them to, but they did not even budge. What was their problem? Did they intend to go against him? Maybe he should just show them how funny it is to watch his pathetic cousin crawl on his four limbs in front of them. He wanted to go kick him, but Hookfang intercepted it with one of his own. Snotlout clenched his fist. This was totally not going according to his wishes. He does not know why but it bothered him that Hiccup finally had someone to turn to. There was something in him that he could not explain. He hated it when people turned against him._

" _Leave. You're not welcomed here," Toothless said, his voice threatening and low._

 _Was that boy actually giving him an order? Nobody ordered him, Scott Jorgenson, around._

" _If you want to hurt Hiccup, you'll have to face us," Toothless growled while the rest of the group took place next to him, forming a wall that separated the two cousins._

 _Hiccup looked up to the backs of his friends, his eyes widening when reality hit him. He knew, he really did, but it was still different to see it with his eyes. He knew that he could trust them, that they would not turn their backs on him. Ironic, actually they were showing him their backs, but for a completely different reason. They were standing up for him, protecting him as one of their own. Hiccup felt how his heart clenched while watching them. It was the first time he felt so loved that it almost made him cry tears of joy._

 _Snotlout was fuming with anger. His pride was in some way stepped on and he did not like it. So he responded in the only way that he desired for the moment. He threw his fist and when it landed on Toothless' face, the black-haired boy snapped. Toothless was charging at him, already holding his fist in the air. And then a fight broke out. The girls stood behind the boys and let them take over the situation. When Toothless beat Snotlout nearly unconscious, breaking one of his front teeth, Hookfang decided that it was enough and tried to pry the raging fury that consumed his friend. Toothless was struggling and Barf and Belch joined to help getting Toothless under control. It was that day, that Snotlout truly felt fear. No one was stupid enough to oppose him and yet, here there were actually six of them who did not fear his influence._

* * *

He was still standing in the office, taking in the surrounding. He hated being in this god-forsaken place. It reminded him of the time of his childhood and the incident. After the day where Snotlout got beat black and blue, the police were actually visiting the next day. Hiccup could remember the mischievous grin on his cousin's face that clearly told him not to mess with him. He felt hopeless. They actually wanted to arrest the group, a bunch of kids! Who the heck arrested a bunch of kids? It was the first time that Hiccup felt so hopeless and truly pathetic for not being able to help his friends. It was then that he had to take all the courage that he had left to ask his dad to help him. It took weeks to convince his father to help him. He hated associating with his father who disowned him, but if it meant that maybe he could save his friends, then he would put his pride aside and beg for it if it came to it.

Hiccup turned around when the door opened. Spitelout was sighing when he entered. He looked up surprised when he saw his nephew standing in his office. The day just got worse. He closed the door behind him and out his things next to his desk. Then he went to the coffee machine that lay on a counter.

"Coffee?" Spitelout asked Hiccup with his back to him.

"No, thank you," Hiccup answered politely.

Spitelout took his cup of coffee and sat down behind his desk. He gestured for Hiccup to do the same in front of him. Hiccup obliged as he sat down and waited. Spitelout took a few sips of his coffee before he put down the cup and looked at Hiccup.

"How can I help you?"

"I need you to look into something for me, or rather, find someone for me," Hiccup explained.

"You know you can't just walk in here nonchalantly as if this was your home and expect me to help you with… whatever you are planning."

"It's important."

"It's classified."

Hiccup then took his bag and pulled out an envelope, handing it over to his uncle. Spitelout took it and opened the envelope, sighing and looking up at his nephew again before putting down the envelope.

"This is bribing."

"You should have told me the first time I bribed you. Moreover, you need it, don't you?"

Spitelout sighed. If he were not the son of his brother-in-law, he would have already kicked him out and arrested him.

"How much this time?"

"Thousand."

"That's more than usually. How come?" Spitelout asked and began to count the money in the envelope.

"I've already told you, it's important."

Spitelout leaned into his seat and sighed, rubbing his temple. "So? What do you want me to do this time?"

Hiccup sat straight up and looked into his eyes. "I want you to find a single father."

"There are many single fathers out there, Henry. I need a clue."

"His family name is Hofferson."

* * *

" _So… you are called Hiccup in school?" Meatlug asked shyly when Snotlout ran away after he got beat up. Hiccup frowned and turned his head away. He did not like the nickname since it only reminded him of painful experiences. Toothless stared at him for a while before he clapped his hands. "I've got an idea!" he said before he ran off somewhere. He came back with a bottle of orange juice and seven worn-out plastic cups. "I've heard that you hiccup when you drink something fast!" he explained before he poured orange juice into the cups. Then he took one cup and gulped everything down in one shot. He then looked at his friends who were staring at him. He waited for the hiccup but it never came._

 _"Hm. I think I have to drink it faster," he said and poured some in his cup again. This time however, everyone from the group took a cup and drank it as fast as possible. Hiccup watched the Toothless as if he had a screw loose. Then Meatlug had a hiccup first. Everyone turned to her and she blushed furiously when suddenly Hookfang began to hiccup. The twins laughed at Meatlug since her hiccup was like a cute sneeze. Eventually, everybody had a hiccup and laughed at the sound of it. Hiccup could not help but smile at the ridiculous sounds and Toothless turned to Hiccup._

" _Whenever they *hiccup* call you Hiccup, just *hiccup* think of the stupid sounds *hiccup* that we're making! *hiccup*" Toothless said grinning while the group continued to laugh._

 _Hiccup could not help but smile and decided to take some orange juice as well. Soon after all of them were hiccupping and laughing at the sounds that they made. Some way or another, Hiccup began to cry out of joy for the reason that the group did not turn on him. He was crying and hiccupping, but not because of the pain that he felt at the bath because of his cousin. It was because it hurt so much to know that he finally had found people aside from Astrid who were standing on the same ground as him voluntarily. He loved them all, he really did and he would make sure to show them how grateful he was in any way he could. It was the least he could do._

* * *

 **A/N:**

Well that's it for the flashback. I didn't want to stretch it out too much so yeah.

Again I'd like to thank you for reading this chapter and hope that you enjoyed it.

Date of Update: 5th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	17. Chapter 17 - Branded

**Chapter 17 – Branded**

Mr. Clay was observing his class. They have been practicing a choreography that he had come up with. He watched Hiccup, Astrid and Camicazi intently. They all had potential and they all had something that was truly _theirs_. However, what bothered him the most was the pair-up. He did say that for the beginning it would not matter who danced with whom, but soon he realized that although Hiccup and Astrid had a good relationship towards each other, the girl dragged him down. She had similar movements like him but hers were uncoordinated, messy and faulty. Camicazi had a good relationship with the other students. She changed her partner every now and then and learned something new. He liked that about her. The only problem that she had was that she had no style of her own. She was a living copy machine, if he might say so.

When his eyes wandered back to Hiccup, he sighed. He was exceptional, that was for sure, but he did not like his attitude. He never followed the exact choreography as he told him, he never took the lessons seriously and he never seems to match the partner's rhythm. It was as if he was a lone wolf seeking freedom in dancing. He had danced with other classmates before but he never seemed to feel comfortable dancing with them unless his partner was Astrid. It is not that he thinks that Astrid has no talent, she does. But her technique was faulty. He reminded himself to ask her where she had learned dancing. Maybe he could fix her form.

Hiccup stood straight and carried Astrid on his shoulder, spinning slowly on one of his feet whilst holding her still. "Where did you go yesterday?" Astrid asked in a quiet voice as she placed her hands on his shoulders to keep herself balanced mid-air. Hiccup then lowered her slowly to the ground, waiting for her feet to reach the ground before he positioned himself behind her, stretching out his arms alongside of her arms, bending to the right side. "I was meeting someone," he whispered and supported her weight with his right arm laying on her waist.

"Well, you were clearly against me meeting that person," Astrid said as she returned to her basic stance, turning with her side to his chest, leaning back slowly. She stretched out one of her arms as she felt his arm on her back and hand on her side. Hiccup bent over her, looking into her eyes as he held herself up on his arm, "Let's just say that it might be better if you didn't know."

"Wow. Now that makes me even more curious."

Hiccup then pulled her up in a flawless motion as he began to add another move of his into the choreography. He held her hand up to the air and spun her two times before he stopped her, holding her hand in his while she stared at him, "Will you at least tell me one day?" He locked eyes with her and smiled gently. "One day."

Then they heard Mr. Clay clap his hands together and everybody stopped dancing, looking at their teacher. He gestured them to line up, which they did, and looked over his class again.

"Emily, you need to work on your balance more. Kai, you have to trust your partner more. She's not going to bite you when you fail. Jayce, you got better. Well done. Leo…," Mr. Clay continued to point out the flaws and faults as well as the progress that everyone made. Then he looked to his three scholar students. "Camicazi, you're really good at matching the pace of your partner and drawing out their potential. It would please me more if you would sometimes try something new yourself instead of copying from others. Astrid, you have the talents and potential to grow even better. Your form is messy and uncoordinated, faulty even, but we can work on that. Henry," he looked to the boy and sighed. "You really have mastered most of the techniques and I praise you for your talent. But you can't always keep changing the choreography that's given to you. It is good to make the choreography your own, but don't go and change the whole concept. You have to learn and match your partner's rhythm as well and you have to take this more seriously. I've got the feeling that you're actually beginning to slack off," he criticized him with a lecturing voice.

When he dismissed his class, everybody was on their way to the cafeteria, except Astrid. Mr. Clay wanted her to stay behind for a few minutes. She waited until everyone was away before she went up to him. He thought about how to put his thoughts into words. Then he gave Astrid a stern look and gambled. There had to be a reason why Hiccup would only dance with Astrid, and if the relationship was what he thought it was, then maybe he could use that as a motivation.

"Astrid. Why are you dancing?" he asked her and watched as her face blushed. "Because it helped me cope with my everyday life, sir," she answered politely. "Is that the reason why you applied at BDA? Surely there was another motive, a superior one."

"Sir, I don't want to sound rude, but is there something wrong with me dancing?"

"Oh no, not at all. I didn't lie when I told you that you have potential. But I will get straight to the point. You're dragging Henry down."

That hit her, more than she wanted to admit. Before she could protest, he raised his hand as a signal that he has not finished his sentence yet. "I can see that Hiccup can only dance comfortable around you. I don't know about your relationship, and it doesn't matter. But believe me when I tell you that you're not at your peak yet. Neither is Henry. May I ask where you learned dancing?"

"I… learned from Hi- Henry. He taught me. I figured the rest out myself."

"That would explain your messy form. Listen, I have high hopes for you, for Henry, for Camicazi as well as for my whole class. I'm teaching with the thought in mind that one day I can tell people proudly that you all were my students. I'm offering you extra lessons. We will fix your form and when the time comes, you will be the one to draw out Henry's potential. You can help him create a certain discipline, at least enough to follow my choreography. How does that sound?"

Astrid was again speechless. First she was told that she dragged him down, and then the next thing she was told was that she may be the key to Hiccup's growth. There was nothing to think about since it was her ambition and goal all along. "That sounds good. I would gladly accept if you don't mind giving me private lessons."

"Good. Beginning next week, we will meet each other in this room at four in the afternoon after school, every day."

"Yes, sir."

He then let her go as well before he went back to the office. Astrid took a tray and had her meal served. When she looked around, she saw Hiccup sitting with Cami, Jayce, Leanne and Dustin at the corner of the mall. Astrid hurried to take place next to her… boyfriend? Lover? Whatever.

"Hey, what did Mr. Clay want from you?" Hiccup asked her when she sat down.

"Oh, it was only about my form and how I could fix it," she answered nonchalantly while she ate.

"Okay, like I said, you put too much weight into your spin, which-"

"Causes you to lose your balance and fall," Hiccup filled in Cami's sentence. She turned to glare at him. It was just as he said, but she wanted to be the one explaining it. Dustin looked at Hiccup with bewildered eyes.

"What? I can be observant! I just don't like pointing out mistakes, okay?" Hiccup felt the need to defend himself when Cami glared at him intently. Then the blonde resumed to explain to her three companions about what they could do and not. Hiccup turned his head to Astrid and found her checking her mobile phone again. "Still no response?" he asked her in a whisper. She just nodded and put her phone away.

"It's been over a week now…," she mumbled to herself, still audible to Hiccup though.

"Don't worry too much. He will be back before you know it. We both know that he's sometimes irresponsible," he tried to soothe her while he stroked her back.

"Irresponsible in bringing up a normal child, yes. But not irresponsible as to leave your child behind without a note!" she rose her voice slightly and the group turned their heads to them.

"What are you talking about?" Leanne asked, sickly sweet, Astrid noticed.

"It's not your business," Astrid growled. Hiccup pursed his lips and gave Leanne a pitying look, "It's nothing. Really."

"Oh, okay. If I can somehow help, just tell me," she said as she blinked several times before turning back to Cami and the two boys.

"You will never have friends if you keep being so…"

"Yes?"

"Stiff!"

"What does it matter? She is only trying to land on your good side anyway," she told him annoyed while she picked at her meal. Hiccup gave her a blank face, looking back to Leanne, who noticed his gaze and returned it with a lovely smile, and then back to Astrid who was rolling her eyes at Leanne's pathetic try to appeal to him.

"How are you so sure that I… got her attention?" he asked her smugly as he got closer to her face.

"Oh please. The way she showed you her flashing teeth while she blinked, like, a thousand times at you – it was obvious," Astrid hissed with gritted teeth.

Hiccup turned to look at Leanne again before he grinned at Astrid. "Are you jea-"

"No, I'm not! I'm just pissed and annoyed! And worried and… and… urgh!" she cursed while she bashed her fork on the tray next to her plate. Hiccup watched her fume with anger for a while before he took her bag that lay between them and grabbed her wrist, standing up from the table, taking his bag as well and dragging her with him.

"What the-?!" Astrid could not even finish her sentence in fear she might bite her tongue off.

"Hey! Where are you guys going?" Cami called behind them.

"I forgot something! And I need Astrid's help!" Hiccup called back before he turned at the next corner, vanishing from the sight of the four left at the table. The boys looked at each other while Cami sighed. Leanne did not understand what was going on and just dwelled in annoyance that she could not spend more time with Hiccup. "And who's going to take their trays away?" Jayce asked and everybody looked at each other, daring their friends to make a move.

While they were discussing who would do the clean-up, Hiccup still dragged Astrid to… somewhere. To her surprise, he pulled her into the boy's toilet. When he dragged her into the cabin and locked the door, he pushed Astrid with her back against the door and kissed her. Astrid's eyes widened before she closed them entirely. Hiccup let the bags fall down to the ground and put one hand on her neck while the other hand ghosted over her waist, pulling her closer to him and pushing her against the door at the same time. His lips trailed down to her neck, sucking at her soft skin, leaving her marked and gasping.

She trembled a bit from the heated touch and moaned his name in a barely audible whisper. After a while, her arms found their way around his neck, pulling him closer. She kissed him on the lips, on his cheek, down to his jaw and finally she bit lightly into his neck. She wanted to brand him as hers, so that nobody would dare to lay a finger on him. She has not been in a relationship yet, therefore she does not know how she should act in his presence. She did not expect to _want_ him that much too. Everything was new to her but what she knew is that she did not like it when girls like Leanne laid their eyes on him.

Of course, she knew that he was not a thing, not an object, but that did not stop her from being possessive. She pulled at the edge of his shirt around his neck a bit down, revealing his freckled skin. Her tongue felt the rough skin on his neck, tasting his flesh before she began to kiss and suck at it. Hiccup enjoyed it with every cell in his body, ecstasy rushing through his veins while his heart tried to jump out of his chest.

He lowered his hand from her neck and placed it around her waist, hugging her gently while she gave him the brand sign. Astrid sucked a tad longer at his skin before she pulled away. She gazed a while at her masterwork before she locked eyes with him, grinning mischievously. "Now everybody who sees this will know that you're already reserved. Don't you dare forget who you belong to," Astrid whispered into his ear. Hiccup chuckled and tightened his grip around her, "The same goes for you."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Not much to say to this chapter.

Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 6th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	18. Chapter 18 - It's time

**Chapter 18 – It's time**

On that same day, Hiccup changed his t-shirt with a polo neck shirt while Astrid wore a scarf around her neck. When they both marked each other as their own, they forgot that they wanted to keep their relationship a secret. At the moment, they were at The Cove with the Crew, practicing like every day. Hiccup was as always standing in the middle and in front of the others, though this time Toothless stood next to him. Astrid did not understand what exactly they were practicing. It was always the same, Hiccup and Toothless in the front, dancing until they were dead-tired while the rest of them tried to match their pace. They were never dancing the same sequence of moves. There was no plan, no choreography, just nothing. Astrid found it amazing how the whole group just trained to match their two _leaders_. But it was also then that Astrid noticed what Mr. Clay had meant. Hiccup was dancing because he wanted to, because he felt like it. It would not suffice if he wanted to make dancing his future. Sooner or later, he would have to abide to a choreography, even if he did not want to. For the time being though, she might try to practice with them as well.

Basically she was Stormfly's partner, training with her while the blue-haired girl taught her how it worked in their Crew.

"Our Crew is different from the others. While the others always train a concept a thousand times until it's drilled into their body, we rely solely on our understanding, our reflexes and instincts. We've been dancing for years together, we've perfected our forms and response to every move of Hiccup and Toothless. You can see that both are geniuses in itself and it's hard to keep up with them. But you know, they're also only human. They make mistakes. And it's our job to cover those mistakes," she explained to the blonde while they were taking a break, sipping from a bottle of water. "We have somehow… created a silent code. We know when we have to do which move in order to support the two of them."

Astrid listened attentively while she gulped down the lightly sweet water. "How come you all don't complain about not being the lead dancer?" she asked her with raised eyebrows. Stormfly turned her eyes to the two boys who were discussing which move of them was better. She smirked at Toothless getting into the conversation with Hiccup, going so far as to giving up his fish cookies in order to convince his friend that he was right. Stormfly chuckled and closed her eyes. "Because it's thanks to those two meeting each other that we can live our lives so fulfilled and satisfied, so happy and peaceful. You know… it was not always like this. And we are all grateful to Hiccup that we can't even return the favor. So everybody agreed to follow those two wherever they wanted to go, to support them as much as we can. I mean, we all would still beg on the streets for money if it wasn't for Hiccup."

"I wish I was there to help you too…," Astrid whispered while she looked at Hiccup. Stormfly then nudged her side and smiled gently at her, "Thank you for accepting Hiccup for who he is." Stormfly then went to Thuggory, discussing with him the playlist and songs that could be used in their next performance.

* * *

Hiccup was upstairs in his room when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and froze. He waited for a few seconds to even his breath before he swiped at the screen, holding the phone to his ear. There was a deep and husky voice at the other end, "Henry?" Hiccup pursed his lips and tried to sound as normal as he could manage. "Stoick."

"I'm throwing a party this coming weekend. Would you mind to bring your friends and do the usual again?"

Hiccup frowned and clenched his hand around his phone. He did not want to talk to him, or meet him, or have anything to do with him. But he was fair. His father helped him save his friends and supported his actions financially, so it was only natural to return the favor. He gritted his teeth and responded, "When and which time?"

"It will be held on Sunday at six. The usual program. I will send you the details later."

"Oka-" but before Hiccup could respond, his father had already hung up. He stood there in his room for a while before he threw his phone with all his might on his bed, knowing it would not crack there. He was breathing hard and frowning, his hands clenched into a fist. It was always like this. It has been ten years now and he still could not understand his father. First he disowns him, then he helps him save his first real friends, then he shows him his cold back again before he decides to help him with his underground hall project. Obviously, he thought that he was only doing that in order to maintain order in Berk. He tried to even his breath again, closing his eyes while he counted slowly from one to ten. Finally, he sighed, going with his hands over his face and slapping his cheeks lightly before he grabbed his phone again, going downstairs.

* * *

Everybody was chatting and laughing. They all stopped though when they noticed Hiccup's expression. The group looked at each other before Hiccup sat down next to Astrid. The twins, as insensible as they are, were the first ones to ask at the same time, "What's up?" Hiccup then pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his temple afterwards. "It's _time_ ," Hiccup simply said and everyone seemed to understand except Astrid.

"What time?" she asked curiously.

"You know that the major holds a party every year to strengthen the bond between him and other politicians?" Stormfly asked her and Astrid nodded.

"Well, he has been hiring us for a few years now. We are in charge of the music, the dancing and the serving. In short, for the entertainment," Eret filled in.

"That's great! I mean, you basically know the major of Berk!" Astrid exclaimed with a smile, though it fell when nobody did the same. They all looked gloomy and hateful even. "Is there… a problem?" she asked, looking at her friends. Toothless looked at Hiccup with a meaningful gaze, angling his head to Astrid.

"What I'm about to tell you… should be kept a secret. The only ones who know about this are the members of the Crew and the Crew only. Swear to everything that's dear to you that you will never ever talk about it in public areas. Better if you don't talk about it at all. We won't know who will eavesdrop and I don't want to lose the support that I need to maintain the underground hall," Hiccup told Astrid in a calm and commanding tone. Astrid looked at everyone and found them all wearing the same serious expression as Hiccup, so she nodded. "I swear."

Hiccup then played with his fingers before he cleared his throat a bit. "I… am the son of Stoick Haddock. But nobody know about this. When I was eight, he disowned me publicly, announcing that he had no children. Since then we've been keeping it a secret. I don't know why he did that, but he did. And he always shows me the cold shoulder. Maybe he's just ashamed of me, I really don't know. Oh I might correct myself. The only ones who know about this are the Crew, Camicazi and her family and Snotlout as well as his father, Spitelout. Spitelout is my uncle so it was unavoidable to flee the presence of Snotlout," Hiccup explained as he rolled his eyes, "And Cami's mother is a famous politician and a close friend to Stoick and my mother. That's also how we got to know each other. And that's it."

Hiccup watched her intently as he finished his reasoning. Astrid sat there with a blank face, processing the information that she just got. "O- … kay. This is really… okay," Astrid did not know how to react to it. Journalists would die to know about this and here she was, entrusted with this big secret of him as if it was nothing. She was about to grasp at the situation when Hiccup decided to top it off a notch. "And that's also partly why I disappeared the last ten years," he whispered, giving her an apologetic gaze.

That blew her mind into a thousand puzzle pieces. She tried to assemble her thoughts but to no avail. Whenever she was met with the gap hole between them, her mind would blacken and go numb, as if she wanted to refuse the fact that they really had not seen each other for ten years. Somewhere deep within her heart she was still sad and angry at Hiccup for leaving without saying anything. It was the same with her father this time. That's why she was so worried. People kept on leaving her without a note and came back when they felt like it. Her mother has left her, Hiccup had left her and now her father left her. It was frightening to not know when the person who was somehow dear to her would come back.

While Astrid tried to work out how she should handle the information, Hiccup decided to make plans for the upcoming weekend. "Thuggory!" he called out and the boy in question spun on his chair around. "Yes, sir?" he answered with a smug grin.

"Cut the crap. You're going to take notes again," Hiccup commanded with a lopsided smile. Then he turned back to the group and looked around. "Alright. Pairing! I guess it's Toothless with Stormfly, like every year. Heather, who do you want to dance with this year?"

"I'm going for robot boy this year."

"Which one?" Hiccup asked and turned to the twins. They immediately began to play rock, paper, scissors. Hiccup concluded that it would take a while until both of them take something different from each other and turned to Meatlug. "Who are you going to dance with?"

"Hookfang, I guess," she said shyly and glanced to the red-haired boy. Hookfang just gave a thumb up and crossed his arms in front of his chest again. "Alright, that leaves Eret, Astrid and me, and one of the twins," Hiccup said as he turned to his crush.

"Who do you want to dance with?" he asked her, though he already knew the answer. Astrid gave him a dumb look, as if to tell him that he was stupid for even asking. She gave him a mischievous grin and hummed, "Maybe… I'm going to dance with Eret?" She watched as his face fell and grinned even wider. "I'm dancing with you, genius- wipe that grin off your face!" she rose her voice as she blushed.

Hiccup just continued to smile like a love-struck idiot, not caring about her opinion at all. He then turned back to Eret. "We need to find a partner for you, and for…" Hiccup paused and looked to the twins who still could not decide who of them was going to dance with Heather. "Er… yeah. I could contact Cami, though I won't expect her to come. She hates political gatherings," Hiccup said, lost in his thoughts.

"I could ask Ruffnut-" Astrid began but was cut off by a loud yelp from Eret.

"Don't get that crazy chick mixed up in all this!" Eret whimpered. Only thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.

"Hey! She can be serious and helpful if she needs to! Especially if it's a political gathering. She knows her limits," Astrid defended her friend, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "And… I already sent her a text."

Eret groaned at that and shoved his face into his hands, "Why, god, are you doing this to me?"

"Don't shit your pants. Nobody said that she has to dance with you," Astrid hushed him. Eret rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, because it's not like she stalked me to the point of chasing me out of _my_ party," he said sarcastically.

It was not long after that before they heard a loud yell, "Eret, my sweetheart! I'm coming!" The voice came from behind that entrance door and Eret was already standing. "If she asks, I'm in DSCS!" he said before he rushed off upstairs into his room, locking himself in it. Then they heard the door slam open with a blonde standing at the door, out of breath, with her brother behind her.

"Where is he?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes, grinning like the devil himself.

Everybody looked at each other before they pointed upstairs. Ruffnut just grinned even wider and vanished in a mere second. Tuffnut closed the door behind him and joined the group, "Jesus. Next time tell me beforehand if you're calling my insane sister here. She was interrupting me when I was testing my tomato-sauce-volcano!" he complained as he sat down.

The group turned their eyes on Astrid, who just shrugged in response. "What? You asked if someone had any ideas!" she defended herself while addressing Hiccup.

"True that."

* * *

 **A/N:**

This isn't a special chapter and there's really no reason for what I'm going to say. But I felt the urge to thank all of you who decided to follow me or/and my story. I really am grateful and it's thanks to you guys that my motivation never fades.

A special thanks to LunnaValley23, who left the first review on this story and is still following me, to Supergoddad, EagleDragon15 and Angryhenry who are supporting me from the background. And not to forget the Guest who always leaves this comment, thanking me for writing the story (A shame I can't thank you privately since you don't have an account). It's really sweet and it always puts a smile on my face when I read it.

Anyways, thank you for reading again and I hope you enjoyed it!

Date of Update: 7th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	19. Chapter 19 - Affection

**Chapter 19 – Affection**

"How come Eret also happens to have a room upstairs? Doesn't he own a house, like, the one where we were at last time?" Astrid asked Hiccup a bit confused and curious. After Ruffnut vanished upstairs in order to do whatever ungodly things she intended to do, the group decided to practice for the upcoming party. They were dancing in pairs, practicing tango. At last, Barf won against his brother and got to dance with Heather while Belch was to assist Thuggory with the technical stuff. Since it was an official political gathering, they could not improvise as they normally did in every battle. That was also why Meatlug and Hookfang were working out a choreography since they knew that Hiccup and Toothless are too unwilling to even think about it. While they did that, the rest practiced some moves that they have not used for a long time and are therefore a bit rusty around the edges.

Hiccup held his arms just as high as his shoulders, one hand on her waist while the other stretched out to the side, holding Astrid's hand in it. They both looked down between them, looking at the steps that the other one took. "He rented the house about a year ago. Until then he had lived here in The Cove with us. You can't blame him that this place sometimes drags him back here in order to provide him warmth and safety as well as company," he answered while he watched Astrid pulling one of her legs up behind her in a merely a second before her foot landed on the ground again, swaying her hips in a seductive way. While he was mesmerized by the shape of her body – mostly her waist, her thigh and her chest –, Astrid was too lost in her thoughts to notice his stare.

The knowledge of him actually being the son of the major and a multi-billionaire at the same time still bothered her in some way. She could not deny the fact that she felt thrilled, knowing she was in some way loved by probably the richest man in the whole city, but it did not change her image of him. He was still a dork, he still had that lopsided smile, he still had his messy hair and he still had his sweet personality. He was not a different person because of that fact. However, she also cannot deny that her perspective of him changed… just a little bit. Whose would not? You cannot just pretend that your heart did not jump when your lover told you that he was entirely different from what you thought he was. She bit her bottom lip in concentration while she frowned. How was she supposed to handle that information? It was a bit much of him to expect her to just shut up about the whole ordeal. She still did not know anything about him, she noticed. Well, that is not exactly true.

She knew him; she knew how he looked like and how he would act if she were to do this and that. But she did not know anything about his life in general. She assumed he was an orphan since he did not deny it when she asked him about it _. Because it's thanks to those two meeting each other that we can live our lives so fulfilled and satisfied, so happy and peaceful. You know… it was not always like this._ Stormfly's words echoed in her head when she looked up to meet his emerald eyes. He noticed her attention and met her eyes as well, followed by that gently and admiring smile that he reserved only for her.

Her heart skipped a beat upon that and it flipped several times, causing her stomach to churn as if there were a thousand butterflies trying to escape from there. Her eyes fell shut as she tried to calm down. It would not help to lose her mind over it. She would take her time thinking about it later. For now, she would enjoy her time with him. It has been over a month now since she got to meet Hiccup again and she still had the feeling that all of this was not real. It is like she is in the middle of a dream. If she woke up, would Hiccup still be gone? Would her father still be there and punish her? Would Hiccup have kissed her? Would she get accepted into BDA? Would she have met the Crew at DSCS?

Hiccup noticed the worry in her eyes and stopped dancing which ultimately caused her to stop as well. She looked up to him, confused. He pushed her bangs out of her sight, tucking it behind her ear. "Is something wrong?" he asked her concerned and unsure. Astrid smiled at his obvious worry and affection to her. She shook her head and lay her hand on his shoulder again. "It's nothing. I was just lost in thoughts," she answered softly while she motioned him to follow her moves. In the background, the sound of strings and light drums could be heard at 4-tact intervals. Hiccup pursed his lips at her response. He knew that something was bothering her, most probably his secret, but she told him that it was nothing. Therefore, all he could do was to wait for her to open up by herself. He would not force her to do anything.

"Have you decided if you want the tattoo?" he asked her as a change of topic. Astrid looked up to him while they still danced.

"Tattoo?"

"Yeah. Everyone who joins the Crew has one. It's like a logo. You don't have to, it's just by choice. Though everyone decided to have one," he explained as he let go of her hand to point to the left side of his chest. "I have it here," he said before he took her hand again.

"Over your heart, huh?" Astrid mumbled to herself before she looked up to him again. He smiled at her and took in his surroundings.

"Toothless has it on his chest as well. Barf and Belch both have it on their arm. Barf on his right one and Belch on his left. Meatlug has it a bit lower from her ribs, Hookfang between his shoulder blades, Stormfly on her neck, Heather on her inner thigh, Thuggory on his the back of his hand and Eret on his waist."

Astrid hummed as she turned her head to the left and then to the right, pulling her leg up between his legs, stopping just an inch before her thigh met his crotch, putting her leg stretched to the ground and to the side at the same time. He followed her move, bending one of his legs in order to follow her stretched-out leg with his. They slowly pulled their legs to their body and Astrid locked her eyes with his again. "I think I will get one," she said in answer to his former question. She watched as his face lit up and she had the urge to lean in to kiss him, but she held it. What was up with her anyway? She had been really needy lately, which was new to her. "Great! Where-"

"Hush," she whispered as she put her finger on his lips, "I will show you when I have it." He just grinned and nodded in compliance.

Shortly after, they heard another yelp from upstairs before Eret stomped down the stairs, with Ruffnut wrapped around his body. He searched for something and halted when his eyes lay on Astrid. He dragged his feet to her and held out a finger to her. "Get. Your. Friend. Off. Me. Please!" he said as calmly as he could with all his annoyance clearly visible on his face. The couple chuckled at the sight as did those who also saw the scene. Ruffnut was not hiding her affection for the bulgy man and touched him wherever her hands could take her. Astrid thought she might as well do her friend a favor and put her hands on her hips. "Why don't you just go on a date with her?" she asked Eret with a smirk. The man just gave her a dumbfounded look, as if to tell her if she really had just asked him that. "You know. She would do _anything_ to get to her goal," Astrid explained while Ruffnut grinned mischievously. "Why not just ask her to be decent until after the party? And if she can keep her words… or rather actions to herself, you have to go on a date with her," Astrid suggested.

"Why? You ask me why I won't?!" Eret was about to hyperventilate when Astrid held up a hand to stop him.

"Would you rather wait for her to tie you up one day and get raped while you're tied to the chair?"

"Wha-"

"Believe me. She already did. And the boy was scarred for life," she said as a cold shiver ran down her spine, only from remembering the incident. "Well, it's up to you though."

Eret was at a loss for words. He looked at the crazy blonde that was still glued to him, and then back to Astrid. She, in response, just raised an eyebrow in question. Eret sighed and gave up. He might as well take the better option. "Alright… alright! Hey, Rachel, I will go on a date with you," he said. Ruffnut stirred and pulled away from him in order to look into his eyes. "Are you serious?"

Eret held up a finger and continued, "If you are willing to keep your hands off me unless it's for dancing. And stop being so… nastily attached to me. For fucks sake, you aren't a dog! Do we have a deal?"

Ruffnut could not believe her ears. There actually was someone on this world who voluntarily (more or less) offered to go on a date with her. With her, Rachel Thorston! Holy, she was about to jump at him again but held it in when he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Ruffnut just nodded since she could not trust her voice yet. Eret was about to sigh in relief when Ruffnut cut in, "I will get a date _and_ I will be your dance partner for the party."

"What?!"

Both Astrid and Ruffnut just looked at him with raised eyebrows in patience. Eret wanted to deny it but… oh well. He just nodded again and rubbed his temple. "Fine. Sure. Whatever. Can you even dance?"

"Err…,"

"Really? I have to teach you? God be with me. We don't even have a week left!" Eret exclaimed in frustration. Astrid cleared her throat to get the man's attention back. "Ruffnut has been taking dancing lessons for years now and is one of the best dancers in her class. Why would I suggest her if I knew that we don't even have a week left?" she asked, a bit angry that he assumed Ruffnut not to be competent enough to be his partner.

"I just can't dance hip hop and all that modern things," Ruffnut added as she shrugged. She was a bit offended though. She would make sure to show him the opposite. Eret then apologized for his rushed assumption and signaled her to come with him in order to practice. Before she followed him, she turned to Astrid and whispered, "I owe you one."

"Just keep Snotlout away from here and we're even," Astrid said grinning as she watched her friend run off to catch up with the brawn.

Hiccup then came to her side and said, "You sure can be nice." Astrid turned to look up to him, "Well, she _is_ my friend."

"Why can't you be nice to me?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You always hit me- Ow!" he winced when she punched his arm. "You mean like that?" she asked innocently with a bright smile. He rubbed the spot and pouted. "Yeah! That! Why are you doing that?"

"That's how I show affection," she answered with a wide grin, her hands on her hips.

"Why don't you hit Ruffnut like that? You like her too, or do you not?"

"Yeah but I'm not as affectionate towards her as I am to you," she simply said as she took a water bottle to drink from it.

"Oh? How am I to understand that?" he asked her playfully as he closed in so that she could feel his breath on her skin. In response, she just punched him again and walked away.

Hiccup just watched her retreating form with a crooked smile and told to himself more than to her, "I feel so loved."

* * *

 **A/N:**

More insight on Astrid's behalf was requested and this is my response to it. Hope you liked it.

Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 9th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	20. Chapter 20 - And the winner is

**Chapter 20 – And the winner is...**

It was the day of the party. Thuggory had already called for the musicians from the underground hall and practiced with them some pieces. He may not be a dancer but his extraordinary talent for technical comprehension and sense of music compensates for that. Eret was astonished when Ruffnut actually did know how to dance tango, and that perfect as well. She did not even try to touch him although he still doubted her. She did not grab him or jump at him and it was relaxing for once in a while. He knew that all that peace would be gone the moment the party ended, which caused him to sigh occasionally. Meatlug came up with a choreography rather fast, given the time that she had left, and showed it to the rest of the group, with Hookfang as her partner. After that, it was a fast process of learning and remembering. One day, Hiccup had bought a new dress for Astrid with the excuse that it was a spare since he knew that she would not accept it otherwise.

The girls were assembled in Heather's room, getting dressed up as they prepared themselves for the party. Heather wore a red dress that went down to her feet, the straps going from under her armpits way up around her neck. It lay tight on her body while there was a slit at both sides of her legs, giving her the necessary mobility for the dance. She wore a necklace with a ruby around her neck as well, emphasizing the dress even more. Meatlug found herself in a white dress that went down to her knees, flouncy and loose. The straps were wide and lying around her shoulders. She too wore a necklace, the same as Heather with the only difference that the gem was not a ruby but a white prehnite, a bit transparent even. Stormfly wore a light orange dress, covering her breasts while it also went to the knees. It had only one long sleeve while the other arm was unoccupied. She wore a necklace with an orange topaz. Ruffnut, always bragging how sexy she actually was, wore a purple dress. It lay tight on her body as well, emphasizing her breasts, while it went down loosely on her legs. The front just went up to her knees while the back of her dress was longer, reaching down to her heels. Although it was only the lower part of her dress. The back of her was completely bare. The straps of her dress reached over her shoulders, down her back in a cross, ending at the fabric on her waist. Her necklace held an alexandrite.

They were all taking turns to change in the bathroom upstairs while the guys were occupying the bathroom downstairs. Astrid was the last one to take her turn and when she finally opened the door to Heather's room, the girls held their breath. She wore a simple blue dress that went down just to her upper thigh. It only had one thin strap hanging over her left shoulder, decorated with several quillings. The fabric lay on her body as if the dress was made just for her. You could already _feel_ her curves just by _looking_ at it. The back of her dress was longer than the front, flowing down her legs like a river.

"Jesus, Astrid! You look gorgeous!" Heather complimented her, still staring at her with her mouth slightly agape. Astrid grinned widely as she looked at the other dresses. "You look just as beautiful. Although I would have never expected to see Ruff in a dress in my whole life. I shall remember this day," Astrid joked, which earned her a punch on her arm from the blonde. "Anyway, can someone help me with the necklace?" she asked and Meatlug volunteered to take on the task. Soon after, Astrid wore a necklace as well, a blue sapphire shining in the middle of it. Everyone let their hair fall down, the side braided into a crown around their head. Later they helped each other with their make-up before they got into their high-heels.

"I still wonder where you guys got all these dresses and necklaces. Isn't it expensive? Because it really looks like that," Astrid said, a bit uncomfortable to wear something that looked more expensive than her house altogether.

"Let's just leave it at 'We have our ways', alright?" Stormfly said, not willing to tell her the truth yet. The girls then all went downstairs to present themselves to their dance partner. The guys were all sitting on the couch, talking to each other to pass time. They had been waiting for over an hour, actually. They all wore a black smoking, without a fly though. Instead, they each had a tie in a matching color with the gems of their dance partner. When they heard the clicking steps of high-heels, they all turned around on reflex, just to freeze at place, staring at the gorgeous girls that descended the stairs. Meatlug chuckled when she saw Hookfang actually widening his eyes. He normally did not show his emotions, but this time it seemed like something had actually surprised him, _him_! Eret too was astonished by Ruffnut's appearance. She was normally like a raging storm, never actually caring for her looks until it was really necessary. And here she was looking like an elegant lady. Either the gods had played tricks with him or he really did feel how his heart beat a bit faster. Barf was oblivious though. He had already seen all of them, except Astrid and Ruffnut, in a bikini anyway. He knew how beautiful they all were. Toothless and Stormfly locked their eyes, giving each other silent compliments with their eyes and smiles. He made a note to himself to rip that dress off her body on the same night.

Hiccup was sitting there, his jaw dropped and his eyes wide. He did know that blue looked good on her but he did not know that it looked _that_ good. Astrid noticed his stare and smirked. She walked towards him, swinging her hips ever so slightly on purpose. When she stood in front of him, she raised her index finger, positioned it under his chin and moved her finger up in order to close his mouth. "You're drooling," she teased him with seductive smile. Hiccup then snapped out of it and shook his head, blushing furiously. The group snickered and grinned as they watched the two lovebirds flirt with each other.

"Y-You look beautiful," he stuttered and gave himself mentally a face palm for actually stuttering. Astrid smirked and pulled herself back from him, "You look good too." Hiccup smiled sheepishly at that comment and looked into her eyes. There was a glint hidden in her eyes, a spark that was reserved solely for him. He gave up. It was too much to hide his affection and he assumed that most of the Crew already knew anyway. So he stood up, went up to her and lay one hand around her neck. He angled her head in a way she would have to look up to him and kissed her – slowly, gently, softly. Astrid widened her eyes in surprise but obliged nevertheless. She leaned into him and returned his kiss just as gentle. They were interrupted though.

Eret had thrown his arms into the air and cheered, "I won! Yes!" Several curses followed that cheer. A lot of _Shit!'_ s and _Fuck!'_ s and _Damn!_ 's could be heard as Astrid slowly pulled away from her beloved, irritated at the outburst. "O… kay? What is going on?" Hiccup asked, dragging out his sentence slowly in order to process the event that was happening – which he clearly did not seem to know about. The couple heard Stormfly muttering nearby, "Couldn't you have waited two months? Shit!"

Toothless decided to explain the situation to them and cleared his throat.

"Well, it was pretty obvious that you two would end up together. We noticed the first time you introduced her to us. You looked like a love-struck fool while she looked like a jealous fiend. So, they decided to bet on how long it would take you to officially get together. And as you can see, Eret had won. Everyone bet fifty bucks on that, which means that Eret just earned 300 dollars." Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other before they turned back to their friends. Astrid was not mad, she really was not, but she somehow got the urge to pay him back. She smirked when an idea struck her and she waved Ruffnut to come closer.

"What is it?" the blonde asked curiously.

"Make sure to waste his money on the date," Astrid whispered and both girls began to grin mischievously as they watched the bulgy man kissing the box that seemed to hold the money that was bet on them.

"With pleasure," Ruffnut purred.

Hiccup turned to glare at Toothless who just raised his arms in defense, "I didn't bet on you! I was sleeping! And I could care less about your relationship with her." Hiccup just nodded and glared at the others who in response just turned their heads away in order to avoid his death glare. They had no time to discuss that further though for Hiccup's phone rang. Everyone went quiet as Hiccup picked up. "The limousines have arrived, sir," Hiccup heard an elder tell him. "We're coming out," he responded before he hung up. He then sighed and turned to his friends, clapping his hands. "Well, let's go."

When everyone came out of the alleyway, six limousines were already waiting for them. There was a crowd around the vehicles, wondering what was up. Their question got answered when their eyes lay on the group. Hiccup held out a hand to Astrid who gladly accepted. They both got into the first one and the driver close the door. There were other drivers holding the door for the dance pairs as they got in. The last limousine was for Thuggory, Belch and Tuffnut. Technically, Tuffnut was not a part of the Crew but he did know how to go about the technical stuff. He was given the task to record their dance too, just as something to look back to. When the last door close, all the vehicles began to drive into the same direction, following the limousine in the front.

Astrid looked out of the window before she turned back to Hiccup who sat beside her. She bit her lip and frowned. "This must be expensive. Is… _he_ paying for this?" she asked, not sure if the driver could hear them. Hiccup leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Technically, it's me paying for all this. But yes. You know who the source is," he answered quietly as he looked out of the window.

"Why? I mean, he doesn't have a reason," she wondered. Sure, Hiccup was the son of the richest man in the city, but he got disowned. How in the world could Hiccup still get his hands on the money? Or rather, why did his father allow him to use it? It did not make any sense at all.

"Hey, um… would you mind if we discuss this later? I'm not exactly in the mood to talk about it. It might throw my concentration off," he admitted bitterly.

"Okay…" she answered quietly. It seemed like her voice betrayed her since Hiccup turned his head to her, worry written all over his face. He cupped her face and gave her a short kiss before he pulled away again, inches away from touching her again. "I will tell you. I will. But not today, okay?" he asked her and she just nodded before she leaned in again, kissing him gently. She wanted to be more aggressive but it might ruin her make-up so she just held it in. Time seemed to stand still as they kissed. They did not notice that they had arrived until the driver cleared his throat rather forcefully. They both turned to look to the front mirror where they met the eyes of the driver. "We have arrived, sir," he said simply before he went out to hold the door open for them.

Hiccup was the first one to step out and held his hand out for Astrid to hold on. She took it while the other hand dragged her dress up a bit so she would not step on it or stumble over it. She crouched to step out and when she raised her head, there was a gigantic building standing in front of her. Astrid realized that she was standing on a red carpet and that Hiccup was holding his arm out a bit for her to take it. He smiled as she grabbed his arm and leaned on him. He leaned a bit towards her and simply said, "Welcome to the Grand Hall."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Whoa. 20 Chapter. To be honest, I didn't expect to hold out this long. Honestly said, I'm someone who never gets to finish something that I've already started (unless I willpower forces me to do so). I think it's mostly because of the nice responses that I get from you, which motivates me every single time. I'll be honest though. Since I already have the basic plot in my mind, I think it will take at least another 20 Chapter to have this story nearing its end. It might even reach 100 chapter. It depends on how I will work on the details I think. But for the time being:

Thank you for reading again! And I hope you enjoyed it.

Date of Update: 11th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	21. Chapter 21 - Come fly with me

**Chapter 21 – Come fly with me**

They were going up the stairs, their backs straight as they met a huge back of a man. The man was talking to one of the guests as they showed him their invitation. Hiccup went up when they left and the man turned around to look at the next ones he had to check on. They could see a golden tooth stuck between the shining white ones.

"Hiccup!" the man exclaimed before he realized the blonde next to him.

"Gobber?!" Astrid asked shocked, her jaw dropped.

"Astrid?!" Gobber imitated her for his jaw also dropped at the sight.

"What are you doing here?" both asked at the same time while Hiccup just looked confused between his two acquaintances.

"You two know each other?" Hiccup asked the two, his eyebrows raised and his eyes wide awake.

"Yeah. Why is she here?" the man asked, irritated as well as confused.

"She'll be my dance partner this year," Hiccup answered, smiling at the announcement.

"Well alright. I guess the troop behind you are the others?" he speculated as he counted the limousines. "Anyway, enjoy your stay. I've already seen Spitelout. Seems like the lad of his didn't feel up to the party tonight. So you can relax." Gobber tapped his shoulder, signaling him to get in. When Astrid was about to pass, she leaned towards the man a bit, whispering, "Ruffnut and Tuffnut are here as well." She then returned to Hiccup's side and vanished in the crowd. "This will be a long night," Gobber muttered to himself as he let the rest of the Crew pass as well.

* * *

Hiccup was guiding her along a corridor where a large and open door lay at the end of it. Astrid did not know much about politics but she did recognize some people. "Is that…?" Astrid began before Hiccup chuckled and nodded. "Michael Bloomberg. Well, he certainly did get older. Although I don't know why _he_ invited him. Probably had his reasons," he added and guided her to the heart of the Grand Hall. There were several buffet tables as well as empty tables and chairs to rest on. When his eyes lay on a large woman, his face paled and he dragged Astrid behind a pillar. She looked at him irritated. "What-?"

"That's Big-Boobied Bertha."

"Who?"

"The defense secretary of Berk. Remember the news when the Romans were about to declare war to Berk?" he asked her while he glanced every now and then to the big woman.

"Yeah. But it ended with Berk and the Romans negotiating and forming a peace treaty. What about it?"

"Well, the truth is, Bertha threatened them that she would bomb their city if they made a move against Berk. She even said that she might as well get fired. She didn't care. She's one hell of a woman," Hiccup said, a cold shiver running down his spine by just imagining what she could do.

"Why do you know this?" Astrid asked, curious how he came upon such an information. Journalists would die for such a revelation.

"Eavesdropped on Gobber talking to her," Hiccup sighed and went with her to a table, getting two glasses of champagne for them. Astrid gladly took it and sipped a bit on it. "And it doesn't make it easier to know that she has some crazy plan about getting me and Camicazi engaged," he added which resulted in Astrid spitting out the champagne that was in her mouth out of shock.

"Smooth…" Hiccup commented with a chuckle, handing her a handkerchief. She wiped her mouth and turned to glare at him. "What was that?" she asked, daring him to repeat the sentence again. Hiccup held up his hands in order to stop her mind from tracking into the wrong direction. " _He_ never accepted the offer! And Cami and me never looked at each other that way. So it's only an one-sided _plan_ , you know?"

"No, I mean, she's Cami's mother?"

"Ah, yes. Bertha is Cami's mother. Crazy, right?"

Astrid sighed and sat down at the nearest chair that she could get. She rubbed her temple as she put one of her legs across the other. Hiccup's eyes wandered down to her movement and blushed at her bare legs. His mind quickly traveled to the land of adulthood, fantasizing about things that he would never dare to say out loud. Astrid had her free hand on her lap and when she noticed his stare at her legs, she smirked. At least she knew that he was only interested in her. She made a gesture with her hand on her lap, telling him to look up to her again. He saw that movement as well and his eyes came up to her eyes again. They smiled at each other, Hiccup sitting down next to her, enjoying his drink with his beloved, waiting for the signal that was to come.

There was a stage at one side of the hall, a piano in the front while there were several chairs and music stands placed in a half-circle around the piano. In the back were drums as well as a bass, a harp and an acoustic guitar. After a while, the hall was full of famous and important people in the society. Hiccup and Astrid held their masks ready when they heard the large door falling shut. Then, a familiar man, that people normally only saw on TV, went onto the stage. He had an auburn beard, the same color as his hair. Everyone went silent as they waited for their host to start the party officially.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 13th political assembly in Berk! Well, we have the whole night to exchange words, so we will delay it and enjoy the performance that doesn't need them!" Stoick shouted, his voice carried through the hall with as much confidence as he held on. The crowd clapped and knew what was going to happen next and they eagerly anticipated it. Most of them have been on this party every year and it was just two years ago when the Crew first performed in the hall. It left such a great reaction on the guests that Stoick decided to make it a tradition, much to Hiccup's displeasure. When Stoick finally went off the stage, Thuggory got on it and behind him several people with their instrument by their side.

The Grand Hall had a special structure. There were pillars at the side of the hall that supported the seating places above. The platform above was formed like a 'U', the stairs being positioned near the door, which means that those who sat above could look down to the performance. Under that platform hung several cameras. Tuffnut, completely in his element, bought everything that he had in order to record them from several angles. He also sat at the corner of the platform, all the cables that connected to the cameras going along the edge of the rail, ending at his laptop and adapters. He was checking on the sound and altered it into a comfortable volume.

The musicians took place on their respectable seat on the stage with Thuggory standing in front of them. There were five boys and five girls standing at the side of the stage, each having a microphone in front of them. The lanky boy took the mask that was on the music stand of the piano and put it on. It was the same mask as the dancer's. It only covered the eyes, two holes for them in order to see through it. At the side of his mask was a black feather attached to it. The girls had a white mask, the feathers the same color as their dress. The boys had a black mask, their feathers a matching color to the one of their dance partner. Thuggory gave a modest bow to the audience before he sat down on the grand piano. He cracked his fingers quietly before he gave the drummer the signal. The drummer was pouncing four tacts until Thuggory joined in. He was playing along with the drum for another few tacts before the crowd shifted. All the dancers began to move.

The girls were all standing on the table, in a frozen pose. There was a rose laying on the table beside the girls. The boys were standing in front of the girls, their backs turned on them, legs spread and hands lying over each other a bit below the belt. Their heads were turned downwards. Then the sound of violins echoed throughout the hall, followed by the bass and cellos in the next tact. The bass and cellos were playing the same chords over and over again while the violins played the melodic part. Thuggory accompanied the whole piece with deep notes and a staccato way of playing. He then took a deep breath before he began to sing.

 _I have a dream, you are there._

 _High above the clouds somewhere._

 _Rain is falling from the sky_

 _But it never touches you_

 _You're way up high._

When Thuggory began to sing, all the boys pivoted on their foot, turning towards their partner on the table. They went down to one knee in a swift motion, their left hand reaching up to their chest as the other hand is stretched out above their head, ready for their partner to take. They slowly moved their head, looking up to their goddesses. The girls held out their right hand, moving it like a leaf in the wind, taking the hand of their partner in an elegant manner. The boys stood up, their backs straight as they helped the girls step down on a chair and then down to the ground. The boys then took the rose that lay on the table and put it gently on the hair, attaching it on the braid so it would not fall off. The crowd was fascinated how well the dancers have mixed themselves into the audience. They quickly gave the dancers the free space that they needed in order to get to the dancefloor.

The strings began to play a bridge in order to give the dancers the time that they needed to get on the floor. When every pair assembled in the middle of it, the boys left the girls standing on the one side while the boys took three steps forward, standing with their backs to the girls.

 _No more worries, no more fear._

 _You have made them disappear._

 _Sadness' try to steal the show,_

 _But now it feels like many years ago._

Astrid took three steps forward, just as she had practiced and stood behind Hiccup. She put her right hand around his torso and lay it flat over his chest. Hiccup turned his head to the left side, freezing it there while he slowly stepped to the right side.

 _And I_

 _I will be with you every step!_

Hiccup held his arm on height with his shoulder and Astrid took his hand, taking a small step towards him.

 _Hey!_

Hiccup turned his head to the right side while Astrid turned it to the left, both facing the same direction.

 _Hey!_

Both turned their heads into the other direction.

 _Tonight, I found a friend in you_

 _And I'll keep you close forever._

Hiccup and Astrid pulled away from each other, Hiccup still holding onto her left hand with his right one. He then pulled her back, Astrid spinning into his arms before their chests were pressing against each other, feeling the heartbeat of the other through the fabric and their breath on their ear. Astrid's hand found itself on his shoulder, holding onto him in order not to fall out of balance.

 _Come fly with me_! - Thuggory sang.

 _Ohh! Ohh!_ \- The choir sang.

 _Into a fantasy!_ \- Thuggory.

 _Ohh! Ohh!_ – The choir.

 _Where you can be_

 _Whoever you want to be!_

 _Come fly with me!_

Hiccup bounced, switching his step as Astrid made a small jump with a scissoring step in between Hiccup's legs. It was followed by a sudden body twist and a Sentada, where Astrid jumped as she sat on Hiccup's bended leg. When she came off his leg, they broke their embrace. Astrid then spun away from him while Hiccup took long and fast steps to catch up to her, standing behind her as she broke the spin and fell with her back down. Before she hit the ground, Hiccup had caught her with his arm, his leg bent in order to support her weight.

 _We can fly all day long._

 _Show me the world, sing me a song._

 _Tell me what the future holds._

 _You and me will paint it all in gold!_

\- The strings played another bridge. -

 _And I_

 _I will believe your every way!_

 _Hey!_

 _Hey!_

 _Cuz I, I have a friend in you,_

 _Will always stay together!_

Hiccup pulled her up again, pivoting on his foot to shift the weight while Astrid stepped with her toes on his, walking and dancing on his feet. After a few steps, Astrid went off his feet and turned with her back to him. She held out a hand and Hiccup did the same, holding it, while they moved together in one direction.

 _Come fly with me!_ – Thuggory.

 _Ohh! Ohh!_ – The choir.

 _Into a fantasy!_ – Thuggory.

 _Ohh! Ohh!_ – The choir.

 _Where you can be – Both._

 _Whoever you want to be! – Both._

 _Come fly with me! – Both._

Hiccup held her hand on her waist and as he pulled his arm behind her waist over her head, she rotated a bit, altering the position of her hand, so that her hand would go along with his. Hiccup pulled his arm back over her head again, causing her to spin once before the ended in the same stance again.

\- Thuggory -

 _And I_

 _I will be with you every step._

 _Tonight, I found a friend in you_

 _And I'll keep you close forever!_

Hiccup lifted her up, her arms tight around his shoulder to stay midair as she held herself onto him with one of her legs angled around his leg and the other one stretched out. Hiccup rotated on the same place, slowly so she would not fall off.

\- Thuggory and the choir -

 _Come fly with me!_

 _Into a fantasy!_

 _Where you can be_

 _Whoever you want to be!_

 _Come fly with me!_

He put her down to the ground again, one hand on her waist and the other holding hers. She was currently facing him before she turned her back to him again, swinging her hips down his front, going onto her knees all the while he held her hands. She came back up, turned back to him and both twisted their body and made jerking movements before they took the basic stance again.

\- Thuggory and the choir -

 _Come fly with me!_

 _Ohh! Ohh!_

 _Into a fantasy!_

 _Ohh! Ohh!_

 _Where you can be_

 _Whoever you want to be!_

 _Come fly with me!_

Hiccup was breaths away from her, dragging her with him as he back-stepped, lifting her again before she held onto him. She let her legs spread while he swung her, pivoting on his feet as he rotated around himself. When her feet touched the ground, they both turned towards each other, jerking their heads in the opposite direction that their partner faced as they neared the end. They were switching their steps, kicking, lifting and jumping before Hiccup pulled himself away from her, merely five meters away as he came to a stop. He waited for Astrid do her solo part, twisting her feet, crossing them while her arms went to the air, stretched out, slowly sliding back down to her side as she slowly moved back to him. And when she was a meter away from him, she spun again, back into his arms and stopped with her right leg angled and lifted around his left leg, her arms around his neck while his arms found themselves tight around her waist, holding her.

 _Hey!_

The strings stopped playing, the drums ended with a loud pounce as Thuggory played the last note. Every pair was in the same stance, the girls pressed against the boys. The dance came to an end.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Alright, this chapter is longer than the rest of the chapters because I didn't want to stop in the middle of the dance. I do not own the lyrics for they belong to Alexander Rybak and his song 'Into a fantasy'. I actually quite liked the lyrics which is why I took it over. I took small changes to make it more fitting for the situation. Well, what do you think? I got the motivation from the Tango dance scene of Step Up 3. If you watch it again, you might see some similar moves that I described in here.

Again, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

Date of Update: 13th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	22. Chapter 22 - The calm before the storm

**Chapter 22 – The calm before the storm**

The audience clapped strongly and loud. It was a magnificent performance just as the last two years and they were not disappointed this year either. The boys stood in a row, their backs facing the backs of the girls. They all bowed before they raised their heads. Most performers, dancers or entertainers would definitely bow another thousand times until the audience clapped their hands broken. The Crew however was modest. They bowed only twice. The second time was when the boys changed the place with the girl behind them in order to bow to the crowd that only got to see their backs. The crowd called for an encore but the Crew declined, just as every year. It was only one performance and it would stay that way. That was how the Crew kept their mysterious magic around them. That did not mean that they were not allowed to dance individually though. Hiccup spared a glance to Thuggory who took the sign immediately. He gave the orchestra a sign too, calling something out to them that Hiccup could not understand.

The musicians then got ready, while another person came onto the stage, taking the acoustic guitar. This time it was Thuggory who started the first few tacts before the rest joined in. They continued to play random songs that Thuggory had prepared for them, without the singing part though. Hiccup smiled in apprehension for he turned back to Astrid. She smiled at him, her teeth shining white as she bit lightly on her bottom lip. Hiccup held one arm behind his back while he held out the other one. He bowed before he looked up to her, "Can I have this dance?" Astrid smiled and pulled her dress up a bit, making a kink as she reached out her hand to him again.

Eret decided that he would enjoy the time he had left until the date by dancing. Ruffnut obliged eagerly as they both joined their friends on the dancefloor. Hookfang gestured to the four and waited for Meatlug to decide. Meatlug smiled gently and took his hand, also joining in. Heather wanted to rest so she went upstairs to the platform above, getting a chair to sit beside Tuffnut. The blonde was so concentrated in recording his friends from the best angles that he did not notice the girl next to him. Heather just smirked and watched him do his work. Barf searched for his twin to pass some time with him.

Toothless used the uproar to drag Stormfly away from the crowd. He looked for a room that could be available, where they could act without fearing for someone to barge in. He then found the broom closet and checked if it was open. To their luck, it was. He pulled Stormfly in before he closed the door. He would put the note that he made to himself into practice right there. Stormfly, already sensing what was to come, smiled and took off his jacket. Toothless loosened his tie and unbuttoned his white shirt while Stormfly rolled up the lower part of her dress in order to give her boyfriend a better access. She was fumbling with his belt before he grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall, her arms above her head. He held both her wrists with one hand while the other was freeing himself from the tightness of his pants. From there on, everything went steamy and heated. Stormfly had to bite down on his shoulder to muffle her scream when he thrust into her. Her nails dug into his skin as they both followed the road to heaven.

* * *

Stoick was standing next to a buffet while he talked with some of his guests. When Bertha found him, she closed the gap between them with small but fast steps. "Gentlemen, I hope you won't mind if I kidnap our beloved major for a few minutes?" she asked with a mischievous smirk. People knew better than to make that woman wait. The guests bid their farewell and when they were out of sight, Bertha dragged him out of the hall and into a quiet place. Stoick followed her silently and waited for the woman to start. Bertha turned around and closed the gap, lowering her voice as much as possible but still audible to him though. "We've found the hide-out. It was him, it was Drago who led the terrorist assaults the last few years," she whispered, looking around in order to make sure that no one was eavesdropping. Stoick's eyes widened at the information and frowned instantly, his rage clearly visible in his eyes. "What did you find?" he asked quietly. Bertha just shook her head and looked at him pitifully.

"The hide-out got self-destructed before we could even investigate it. It's a dead end. The only clue we have is his former personal secretary. But as you might expect, he wouldn't utter a word."

Stoick stroke his beard while he began to think about all the possibilities that he might have overseen. "What if… No, that wouldn't work. Drago is insane, we can't approach him with reasonable methods. We need someone who would think the same as him."

"Well, have fun searching for one," she snorted as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She watched as the major's face slowly fell. It was obvious. The last time he had to confront Drago, his wife disappeared. Drago claimed in a letter that he had killed her. There was no proof, no picture of her dead body. Stoick believed for months that his wife would come back but she never did. Eventually as the years passed, he would give up. Nevertheless, he may have lost his wife, but he would not lose his son. He disowned him publicly in order to keep him safe and out of Drago's reach.

Gobber, Bertha, Spitelout and Andrew Hofferson were the only ones who knew about Hiccup's real identity. But Stoick and the other two lost contact to Andrew when Drago had annihilated the Hofferson family. Andrew was a soldier, an agent, who was given the task to investigate everything about the major's election. It seemed like the election was rigged. Andrew was the only one to be able to track down Drago, but when he was close to catch him, he found one of his small hide-outs. There he found a piece of Drago's plan, although he was sure that Drago was an exceptionally careful man – he would never leave a piece of his plan open in his hide-out. Andrew knew that it was on purpose when he saw the layout of Drago's careful planning of how he would annihilate his family. When Andrew came back home, the house was on fire.

* * *

" _Mommy! Daddy! Uncle Finn is still in there!" Astrid cried painfully, hot tears streaming down her face. Her mother was holding her down in order to keep her away from the house. "We have to save him!" she shouted, the sound so high that it hurt to listen to it. "Uncle Finn!" she screamed as she struggled to get out of her mother's arms. When she bit her mother's hand, it did the trick. She let go of her daughter accidently and Astrid ran for it. She ran towards the house that was on fire, the wood crackling with the wind and smoke hissing in fury._

 _"Astrid! Come back here!" her mother called out to her as she followed her. Andrew ran after the two most important persons in his life. Astrid however ignored the warnings and huddled between two burning woods, running inside the house. Her eyes teared up when she was confronted with a large wall of smoke. "Uncle Finn!" she called out. The scream led her to take in too much smoke at a time and she began to cough. She could not see clearly in the fog and crouched down as she felt the lack of air. She tried to inhale again but choked as the smoke found its way into her lungs. "Astrid!" her mother called. When she saw her daughter crouching in the middle of the fire, she hurried to her. It was then that the pillar, which stood a few meters away, broke down, threatening to bury the young girl alive. Her mother saw the danger and rushed to her aid._ Please, please let me make it in time! _her mother prayed dearly as she ran as fast as her legs could get her._

 _The pillar was falling straight down on the girl but before it could struck upon her, the brave woman pushed the girl aside at the last second. She hissed in pain when she felt the fire spreading out on her back, slowly engulfing the rest of her. She knew she would waste air unnecessarily if she were to scream. She searched for her daughter and sighed in relief when she lay unscratched merely a foot away from her. The girl turned to look who had pushed her away. When she saw her mother lying beneath the pillar, her eyes widened at the outcome and she burst out crying. It was her fault that her mother was hurt. She crawled to her mother, crying, sniffing. "I'm sorry! Mommy, I'm sorry! I didn't want to hurt you!" she begged for forgiveness, taking the hand of her mother, not caring about the fire at all. Her mother just smiled painfully, looking at her daughter as she cried. "It's okay… honey. It's okay… everything will be fine-" she tried to reassure her but coughed as she inhaled too much smoke. After a few seconds, Andrew caught up to them, just to fall down on his knees when he saw his wife buried under a pillar, mostly in flame, his daughter sitting next to her, crying so loud and painfully that his heart hurt._

 _"Ingrid!" he called as he snapped out of it. He tried to lift the pillar. It was too large though and would not budge even an inch. It was a lost case but he did not accept it. He would not. He stopped when Ingrid put a hand on his arm, smiling at him although she was so in pain. "No, No! Don't you dare give up yet! Shit!" Andrew cursed and tried to lift the pillar again. It still would not move. Ingrid squeezed his arm while she watched her husband crying silently, trying to lift the pillar with all his might._

 _"Dear… get her… out of here…" she tried to reason, using whatever energy she had left in her. Andrew shook his head as he gritted his teeth. The pillar was on flame and his hands were burning and hurting but he would not abandon his wife. Ingrid then looked at him with glassy eyes. "You can't protect… two things… at the same time… If you don't decide… you'll lose both…" she managed before she coughed again._

" _Mommy! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I just wanted to help Uncle Finn!" Astrid said, still crying her heart out at the sight of her mother. The ceiling began to crumble and time was running away from them. Andrew looked shocked to the ceiling and down to his wife. Astrid was trying to pull her mother out, to no avail. The ceiling crumbled again and Ingrid lost her patience, "Andrew!"_

 _The man looked at his wife before kneeled down, kissing her one last time. "I love you. I love you so much," he said as he held her hands. He was trembling, crying, burning her image into his mind one last time. "I love you too… now go!" Ingrid persisted and let go of his hand. Andrew then took pulled Astrid away from her mother and held her close to his chest. "No! We have to save Mommy! Mommy!" Astrid cried as her father did not let her go. He was stepping a bit back before he turned and ran. Astrid screamed and cried at the sight of her mother slowly getting buried under the rubble. She screamed so long and loud that somewhere on the way, she passed out. Andrew was holding his daughter close to his chest as he jumped out before the house collapsed._

 _He was looking back at the house, burning so furiously as if hell had consumed it. Then he looked down to his daughter, the only one he had left. Tears fell down his cheek as he pulled his daughter as close as possible, burying his face into her neck as he screamed and cried out of pain._

* * *

After the incident, Andrew had quit his job and never called them again. That was Drago's goal. He knew that the Hofferson man was the only one who could be a threat to his plans. If he was out, then Drago had all time of the world to prepare his plan. Stoick still regretted the loss that his old friend had to bear because of him. Andrew never blamed him but Stoick still felt guilty. Drago was a man to be feared. If he was going to attack again, he would make sure to protect his son. This time, he would protect his family and his friends.

Bertha shifted her weight as she looked to the sky. "Cami is attending the same school as Hiccup. I told her to keep an eye on him," she said. Stoick looked at her for a while before his eyes too, turned to the sky. "How is he doing?" he asked. It was painful not to know how his son was doing. "He's good. Cami's always talking about how handsome he had become. Apparently, he has a girlfriend now – Andrew's daughter. Spitelout also told Gobber that Hiccup has been asking for Andrew's whereabouts. It seems like Andrew has gone missing," Bertha answered. Stoick sighed and watched as the clouds passed by. A storm was making its way towards Berk and he had nothing to defend himself yet. The situation was dire.

"Let's get back in. The host shouldn't neglect his guests for too long," Bertha said as she turned to walk back in. Stoick watched her back as he too turned to follow her. It was the calm before the storm.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey there. So, things are getting a bit serious now. What do you think?

As always, thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 13th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	23. Chapter 23 - Three words

**Chapter 23 – Three words**

The night went on without any causalities. Many politicians enjoyed the dance of the Crew while some even joined them. To make it easier for them, Thuggory decided to play something slower, in a 4-tact-interval. Hours of playing the piano wore off his concentration bit by bit but he did not let it get to him. It was past midnight when most of the guests retired for the night. Spitelout made sure to have the guests return safely. He was content to see that the night was a success again. Of course, it was somewhat boring to guard something without having to work hard for it but it was better than to have the peaceful night disturbed by attacks.

When Toothless and Stormfly returned from their little trip, they joined the others on the dancefloor inconspicuously. Meatlug however, as observant as ever, noticed the messy hair that Stormfly tried to hide under her braid as well as the kiss-swollen lip. Toothless had a red mark sticking out from his collar, which made her giggle. Hookfang looked at her confused. "What's up?" he asked her, his face neutral and unbiased. For some reason, Meatlug was the only one who could make Hookfang talk. The red-haired hunk was never much of a talker but in Meatlug's presence, he felt that she was on the same wavelength as him. They were both observant, patient and kind in their own way. While Meatlug would show her kindness openly, Hookfang would hide it as best as he could. Meatlug was the only one who knew about his inner feelings and thoughts. He was difficult to understand but Meatlug could tear her way into his mind with ease.

"Ah, I'm just thinking about how funny those two are," she snickered. Hookfang followed her eyes as his eyes fell on the couple. Hookfang was sharing a table with Meatlug in the far corner of the hall, their masks undone and placed on the table. He leaned back and crossed his arms in front of his chest, closing his eyes in order to let them rest a bit after the long day. "I don't understand why they keep it a secret though," he said, sighing as he smirked. Meatlug put her elbow on the table, supporting her head with her hand as she watched the two lovebirds dancing.

"You can't blame them though. You can't expect them to show openly how happy they are when the rest of us was still traumatized from the Queen. I'm just glad that they got together. It was unbearable whenever they fought. It hurt to even watch or stand by. Do you remember how they forbid us from talking to the other one?"

"Don't remind me. That was one hell of a month. And just because Heather joked around with Toothless," Hookfang rubbed his temple at the memory. He had a painful headache the last two weeks of the month because it was too much to bear. It was also then that he accidently shouted and destroyed a chair. While Hookfang was normally a calm young man, he could be deadly if his limits were pushed. He seldom got mad at anything or anyone but if he did, it was a disaster. Once he was on fire, he would not calm down until everything around him was destroyed and in chaos. It was also then that Stormfly and Toothless decided to make up. A mad Hookfang was scary… really scary.

"Somehow they have the idea of Barf, Belch and you nagging at them if they made their relationship official although the twins are the real problem. You're just annoyed, aren't you?" Meatlug guessed, chuckling at him. Hookfang just smiled in suffrage and watched his friends enjoying themselves. Meatlug watched him as a smile tucked at the corners of her lips. "You should show your emotions more openly. Your smile could melt thousands of girls, you know?" Meatlug pointed out, watching as his face turned blank.

"Isn't it enough that you can see it?" he asked, grinning a bit wider with his white teeth visible. Meatlug hummed and leaned back into her chair as well. She somehow felt proud that she was the only one who could see Hookfang actually change his facial expressions and gestures. It was like a secret that only she knew. There were many secrets that only she knew, and she always kept them to herself since she did not like to share it although she normally was generous with everything. Just these secrets were an exception.

"It truly is," she said before she stood up. Her friends were packing up and she wanted to help. Hookfang did the same and followed her, giving the musicians and Thuggory a hand. The twins were helping Tuffnut while the rest was helping with rearranging the tables and chairs. Gobber was giving commands to the cooks and servants while he searched for something that has yet to be done.

When everyone finished tidying up, the Crew left the Grand Hall. After a few minutes, Thuggory drove a large van up to them and helped his friends pick up the instruments and the technic. The whole group laughed and chatted as they dropped Astrid off in front of her house. Hiccup insisted on getting off with her to bid goodbye properly. The Crew just grinned as they made jokes about him being a love-struck fool. Hiccup just waved off his friends as he closed the door. He gave her a warm and tight hug. Astrid gave him a kiss before she pulled back a bit. However, Hiccup pulled her close to himself again, whispering into her ear, "I love you…"

Astrid thought that for a moment that her heart had stopped. Suddenly there was not enough air to breathe and no time to pass. She looked at his eyes when he pulled back a bit. He was giving her that crooked smile and she could not help but kiss him again. She knew that they were a thing but he never told her those words aloud. And now that he did, she felt like flying. He then let go of her and gestured to the house behind. "You should go now. Rest well," he said as he kissed her temple. She snickered and leaned in a bit, answering "I love you too." She grinned when his face lit up and turned around, walking up the stairs and opening the door. She looked back one more time before she closed the door. Hiccup stood there for a while before he got back into the van. The Crew drove off, vanishing in the distance.

* * *

When Astrid came back home, the first thing she noticed was the dim light upstairs. She held her breath as she rushed upstairs. She nearly tripped over her dress before she ripped the door open from where the light came. It was her room. Her father was sitting on her bed, arms on his knees and his forehead on his hands. He looked up and she froze. The next thing she noticed were the bags and suitcases next to her bed. What was the meaning of this? She was confused, her mind blacked out and all she saw was her father, staring daggers at her. Should she apologize for being out too long? Should she be the one to say something first?

"Astrid," Andrew said sharply and the girl twitched, her senses coming back to life.

"Y-Yes?" she managed, though a bit quietly.

"Where were you?" he asked in a dangerous hiss. He was still staring at her, his eyes cold and clear. He was definitely sober. Astrid gulped before she answered.

"I was out with Ruffnut." Well, it was true. He did not need to know that there were guys involved. She turned her attention to the empty bags and suitcases again. "Are you leaving again…?" she asked quietly. Andrew was still looking at her, as if he was observing her. It made her uncomfortable but she would not show it. If she did, she might give him a reason to beat her up again. "No," he answered coldly. She was about to sigh out of relief that her father was not going to leave her again when he stood up and uttered the next sentence. " _You_ are the one who's leaving."

"W-What?" she asked shocked, not believing what he just said. She unconsciously took a step back as he began to move towards her. "What are you talking about- Why?!" she asked hysterical. This had to be a bad dream. It had to be! There was no way that something like that could happen right after such a wonderful night. Andrew was now glaring at her as he stood in front of her. "You. Are. Leaving. Now," he spat at her. "You have an hour to pack your things." He was about to pass her when she grabbed his arm. "No! Why?! You come back home after over a month and now you demand me to leave?! Why?! Dad-" she got interrupted when he grabbed her throat and pushed her against the wall. She choked and tried to get air while his grip was tight around her throat. "One hour. And then you're out of here. Understood?" he hissed between gritted teeth.

She held back her tears and nodded silently, keeping as still as she could. He let go of her and went downstairs, giving her the room that she needed. Astrid was confused, shocked… and hurt. Not physically though, but emotionally. She was about to lose the last one of her family. Her father had told her that her mother had died in a car accident when she woke up in the hospital. After that, he never was the same again. He looked at her with resentment, hate and pity. Astrid shook her head and hurried to pack everything that she needed. She would have enough time thinking about it afterwards but for now she had to pack as if her life depended on it. She threw as much clothes as she could into the suitcases. Shirts, jackets, socks, underwear, shoes, jeans and scarfs. She pulled a box from underneath her bed out and opened it. In it were all the pictures of her, her mother and her father when they were still happy. She emptied it over her bag, shoving her laptop and certificates in it afterwards.

She was zipping her bag when her father opened the door. "Time's up. Get out of here." Astrid was looking at her father, pleading and begging. "Dad, please-" she said before he punched a crack into the door. "I told you to leave!" he shouted at her, his voice so strong and dangerous as he frowned annoyed at her. Astrid winced and pulled the strap of the bag over her shoulder. She was carrying the two suitcases behind her downstairs. Andrew opened the door and gestured for her to get out. She hesitated before she dragged her suitcases out of the house. She went down the stairs before she turned. Her eyes locked with his and for a moment she swore she saw tears at the corner of his eyes. When she blinked, it was gone. "Dad, if I did something wrong, then tell me. Tell me! But don't kick me out like that! Dad! DAD!" she was screaming the last bit as Andrew closed the door.

Pain and grief overwhelmed her as if a car had just run her over. Then she felt a raindrop on her nose. When she looked up, another drop found its way on her face. She stood there for a while before rain began to pour down on her. She was trying to think, think where she could go. She could call Ruffnut. Her family would definitely take her in. But she also knew that her family had financial issues. And Ruffnut was not the person that she needed right now. She needed Hiccup. When everything was lost and gone, Hiccup was always the one who was there for her.

She pulled out her phone and called for a cab. After around five minutes, it arrived. She packed everything in the back of the cab and closed the door. She gave the driver the address of The Cove and let herself get driven there. She watched as the rain poured down on the windows. It took them more than half an hour to get there. She had kept silent all way long. After she paid him, she got off and unloaded the cab. She watched as it disappeared again before she turned to the gate in front of her. She could hear laughter coming from the inside and already regretted it to bust in with such a depressing mood. She stood in front of it, debating over and over again if she should just rent a hotel or drop at Ruffnut's place but for whatever reason, her legs would not move. She could not go back, but neither could she go forward. After around fifteen minutes under the rain, she raised her hand and pushed the button. She could hear the bell ringing inside and the laughter stopping. She listened as fast steps approached the door and when it flung open, she looked up.

It could have been Stormfly, Toothless, Meatlug, Heather or anyone else who opened the door, but it seemed like god did not want her to lose hope yet as she saw the messy auburn hair in front of her. Hiccup's smile faltered when he saw her standing soaked in front of the gate. She was trembling from the cold, her bangs covering her eyes while she carried a bag over her shoulder and two suitcases behind her. He rushed out to open the gate and when it _was_ open, he stood in front of her. He was speechless, did not know what to ask, did not know how to react. His mind might have stopped working but his ears did not, for he clearly heard the three words that were to come.

"Please... help me…"

* * *

 **A/N:**

Alright. I need your feedback on this chapter because I. Am. Totally. Unsure. About. This.

Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 14th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	24. Chapter 24 - All for one

**Chapter 24 – All for one**

The Crew stopped whatever they were doing and looked to the entrance. Hiccup was pulling two suitcases behind him and when he entered, they saw a drenched friend following him. Heather watched as the unbelievable unfolded in front of her eyes. "Holy, two suitcases? This doesn't bear good news," she commented, which earned her a punch from Stormfly. "Get the towels instead for joking around," the blue-haired girl said as she rushed to their aid. She looked at Hiccup with a questioned gaze who in response just shook his head and glanced at Astrid. She was looking to the ground, her eyes clouded and lost somewhere in nothingness. Hiccup came closer to Stormfly and whispered, "Could you take a bath with her? Just to be safe…"

Stormfly understood his worries for Astrid just stood there, unmoving and lost, as if she did not exist. As if her soul had just left her body. She gave him a pitiful look before she tried to motion Astrid to the bath. She took the bag around her shoulders and gave it Hiccup. When both girls disappeared in the bath, the Crew turned their eyes on Hiccup. "I don't know what happened either, okay? Let's just wait for her to talk," he said and grabbed her things. "Mind giving me a hand?" Meatlug then stood up and pulled a suitcase with her while Hiccup carried the bag and the suitcase upstairs. Toothless followed them, sensing that his presence might ease Hiccup's mind. The twins were still helping Thuggory with the technic that he had to unload and adjust them back to their former place in The Cove. Eret was whipping the floor that Astrid left wet and dirty.

Hiccup opened a door and entered the mostly unused room. They had up to three guest rooms, just for safety's sake. He let the bag down on the floor next to the bed and began to take the sheets out of the cupboard. Meatlug was wiping off the dust, staying just as silent as Hiccup. Toothless made himself comfortable on the bed, eating his fish-formed chips. Meatlug threw a pillow at him and scolded him, "Don't eat on the bed! We're cleaning up right now. I don't want to clean up after you again."

"Finally someone began to talk. The silence was suffocating me," Toothless admitted as he jumped off the bed. "So? What are we going to do? Keep her? Make her one of us?"

"She already is one of us. Let's just wait for her story, alright? We don't even know the situation," Hiccup tried to reason with Meatlug nodding in agreement. After a while, Stormfly knocked at the door as she came in. "I need to get clothes for her to change into," she explained before she opened both suitcases. She rummaged through it until she got a pair of underwear, a shirt and joggers. She was about to leave when Hiccup spoke up, "Did she say something?" She turned to look at him and pursed her lips, shaking her head as she resumed to go help her friend in need.

* * *

When everything was prepared and done, Meatlug decided to leave the two boys to themselves and went downstairs. Hiccup sat down on the bed and Toothless did the same. "Did Spitelout contact you?" he asked, still eating his chips. Hiccup sighed and rubbed his face. "Spitelout always helped me if money was involved. He actually wanted to help again but his face turned serious when I mentioned her family name. He even gave me back the money that I offered. I tried to raise the amount but he still shook his head. The only word he mumbled over and over again was _classified_."

"Didn't he say the same last time?"

"Yes! He did! But this time… it was actually as if the information really was classified- Top secret! So important that not even I could get my hands on it."

"Wow. I'll ignore the arrogance behind those words, for your sake."

"I'm serious here! I tried to negotiate with him but he never made a move to help me. The only thing he told me was that it was better if I didn't stick my nose into that business."

"Which motivated you even more, I guess?"

"Damn right! Spitelout knows something about her father and he doesn't want to tell me. This is suspicious."

"And let's not forget that he is an officer and therefore not obligated to tell you, a mere commoner, those _classified_ information at all," Toothless said sarcastically.

Hiccup just rolled his eyes and gave up. There was something not right, or rather, something was going on but he did not know what. His mind drifted back to the blonde and worry began to form on his face again. Was she alright? Obviously not. How could he help her? He could shelter her. Why is this happening? He did not know. Toothless sensed how lost Hiccup was in his thoughts and left the room as well. He was not someone who would talk sense into people. He was a silent listener. He listened to everyone and anyone. He would never judge them or tell them what to do. He would point things out with a tricky comment but no more than that.

After Astrid took a bath, Stormfly accompanied her to the room where her things were and told her what she could use and what not. Hiccup stood silent next to the door as he observed Astrid. She was looking at her bag, her things, nodding every once in a while but never raising her head. His chest tightened at the sight and he had to take a deeper breath in order to calm himself down. It would do no good if he would start to panic as well. When everything was said and done, Astrid asked the two of them to leave her alone for a while. Hiccup and Stormfly obliged and closed the door softly when they let her be. The Crew was downstairs, sitting in silence as they gave short comments to the situation although none of them knew what they should think about it. When it was getting later than late, they decided to retire for the day.

* * *

Hiccup went to shower since he was still a bit wet from running out in order to open the gate for Astrid. It took him about fifteen minutes to come out of the shower. He was wearing a mere tank top and joggers. When he finished brushing his teeth, he turned off the lights and went down the dark corridor. He knew every inch of The Cove by heart and had no problems navigating himself through the darkness. He closed the door behind him and was about to lie down when he heard a soft knock.

The door opened slowly and revealed Astrid with her hair down. Hiccup rubbed his eyes and was about to turn on the light on his desk but he stopped when Astrid spoke up, "Don't… please." He pulled back his hand and waited. Astrid closed the door softly and went up to him. When she stood in front of him, he was about to ask what was up but she beat him to it for she pulled his head down, kissing him hard. Their teeth clanked for a moment in an awkward way but that did not stop her. On any other occasion, he would have gladly returned the kiss but this was wrong. He knew that yet he returned her kiss, but slowly. He did not want to eat her out but he wanted to give her the feeling of safety and trust. Astrid felt the difference and adjusted herself to the changes. Her lips slowed down and then, all she could feel was a gentle warmth and modest indications of love. He searched with his hand for hers while he continued to move his lips against her. When he found her hands, he held them, warm and secure in his. They were cold… small… trembling.

She pulled back after a while and buried her face into his chest, slinging her arms around his torso while she tried to calm the tumult in her heart. She was grateful that he did not try to talk to her since she did not know if she was strong enough to answer him without tearing up. They stood there for over half an hour and Hiccup made a note to himself to apologize tomorrow for not going with Toothless on patrol in the underground hall.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked quietly, her cheek flat against his chest.

"Yes?" he responded in a whisper, stroking her hair in a soothing gesture.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Sure…"

He pulled back a bit and smiled at her. She looked up to him and returned it slightly, the corners of her lips turning upwards a bit. Finally, he let her go and got into his bed, pulling the blanket aside for her to join him. She crawled up next to him and he pulled the blanket warm over her. After a while, she began to search for his lips again. She kissed him roughly and bent over him, supporting herself with her arms. She tried to suffocate the pain with kisses. Her mind sidetracked to her father – how he had kicked her out and how she had lost her one and only family.

Hiccup felt something drop on his cheek so he opened his eyes, just to find her crying over him. Her eyes were half-open, her breath uneven as she tried to calm herself down. The pain was too much, there was nothing that could distract her. Hiccup sat up and wiped her tears away, keeping himself as calm as possible. What was he supposed to say in these moments? What did she need, what did she want to hear? "It hurts… it hurts so much…" she sniffed as her tears continued to fall. His heart clenched at the sight and all he could do was pull her into his arms. It hurt to see her so broken. It hurt to see her crying in front of him. And it hurt that he could not do anything about it. He hugged her, keeping her close to him as he hushed her softly. Then he remembered how his mother had always soothed him and he thought that maybe that could help. He kissed her temple and stroked her hair and back.

"Let it out… I'm here… I'll always be here… I will catch you whenever you fall, so let it out," he whispered into her ear and as if she had waited all day long for those words, she burst out crying, loud. Suddenly she was five again, crying from the bottom of her soul as if her life depended on it. Suddenly she was standing in front of the grave of her mother again, experiencing the pain of losing someone dear to you once again. She was hugging him so tightly that Hiccup thought he might be unable to breathe but he tolerated it, continued to stroke her hair and her back.

It might be true that he was not there for her the last ten years, but he was now. He would make sure of it. He needed her just as much as she needed him. Her mind broke down as the whole scenario of her father kicking her out repeated itself in her mind the whole time, which fueled her grief even more. Whenever she thought that she had enough of crying, another agonizing memory would find its way into her mind. She had held her tears in for so long, always giving the excuse that it was better not to cry. All the problems, all her worries and all the pain were released in one go and it teared her apart.

The walls were not soundproof which means that The Crew heard her. It was not the first time they had to listen to someone cry in the middle of the night. It was the same when Heather joined them. And it was the same when Thuggory joined them. Both were broken and abandoned by their own people and they knew how painful it was. Eret was sitting on his bed, one leg pulled to his chest as he supported his arm with his knee. Everyone who lived under the roof of The Cove had a history before he or she joined. And every time when someone joined, the Crew would stay awake and guard. It was not necessary, more like a tradition. They felt at ease to know that they could guard them from the darkness that hovered over the hearts of the broken ones. They all knew that long weeks of sleepless nights were approaching and none of them thought bad about it. It did not matter what exactly had happened since all of them agreed that they would help the girl with bearing and sharing the pain.

* * *

 **A/N:**

A little notice. I only have 3 hours per day to work on the next chapters since I'm working now. So it's possible that I might not update daily, though I will try my best. Please leave a review for it always motivates me to no end.

Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 15th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	25. Chapter 25 - Agony and confusion

**Chapter 25 – Agony and confusion**

Meatlug knocked softly at the door to Hiccup's room and when no one answered, she entered it. She smiled at the sight that greeted her. Astrid was curled up in Hiccup's arms as they faced each other. She could see the traces of tears on Astrid's cheek, dry and a little crusty, if not even red. The Crew told her to call them down to eat breakfast but she really did not want to disturb their peaceful rest. She was about to leave when suddenly Hiccup whispered, "What time is it?" Meatlug turned around to see Hiccup with his eyes half-open. He was looking at her with an exhausted and tired gaze. She gave him a gentle smile and looked on her phone. "It's half past nine. Breakfast is ready. I could bring you something upstairs," she suggested, nudging with her head in Astrid's direction. Hiccup closed his eyes again and sighed. "No, it's okay. Eat without us. I'll make something once she's up," he said and returned her kind gestures with a smile.

"I already told Hookfang to go with Toothless on the patrol," she said, going towards the door. Before she was out of reach, he called out a _Thank you_. He relaxed into his pillow and bed as he looked down at the blonde hair that blocked his sight. He was lying on his right side, his arm stretched out for Astrid to use as a pillow. He could feel her warm breath against his chest and for some reason, it soothed him to no end. Now that he was awake, he could not fall asleep again. So he just lay there, thinking about everything that had happened in the last few hours.

At some point, he could not feel his arm anymore. He did not care much about that though. He was going through the plan for the day and scratched out everything that he would not make in time. He made a note to himself to apologize to the people who had an appointment with him but it could wait. He did not feel bad about it. It might sound egoistical but he finally saw a chance to be there for her, to leave a good impression on her. In the past, he would have taken the chance immediately anyway since he only loved her secretly from the shadows. Now though that they both were a thing, he would do that just to show her how much she means to him. He debated with himself about several other moral actions and rules until he felt the girl next to him shift.

Astrid felt something unfamiliar yet warm and comfortable underneath her head. She opened her eyes and found a black tattoo as well as a white tank top in front of her. Then the memories came rushing back into her head. Her father had kicked her out. She searched shelter in The Cove and… gods, she cried. Hard. In front of Hiccup. What a nice way to end the day of your life. She looked up to him and pursed her lips. He was watching her intently, patiently waiting for her to sort out her thoughts.

"You okay?" he asked softly, hugging her closer to him. She hummed and nodded quietly, inhaling his body odor. It was a mix of shampoo and… Hiccup. She liked it. It distracted her like a drug. The pain was not completely gone yet, but diminished nonetheless. She put her hand on his chest, tracing the edge of his tattoo with the tip of her index finger. It calmed her down, though the same did not apply for Hiccup. The mere touch of her sent shivers down his spine and fire through his veins. She lay there for nearly an hour. She knew she had to give the Crew, or at least Hiccup, a proper explanation. Still, she just wanted to enjoy his warmth a little bit more. She sighed and sat up in order to keep herself away from him a bit. She wanted to touch him more, even if only with her index finger, but first she would get this over. Hiccup looked up at her and sat up as well. Astrid angled one of her legs and put her elbow on it, holding her head to soothe the agonizing ache.

"My… father kicked me out," she began slowly, quietly. Okay, that took him off guard. He had to admit, from all the possibilities that were available, _that_ was the one thing he did not expect. He leaned into his pillow, half lying, half sitting. He nodded as a sign that he was listening. She crossed her legs beneath the blanket and played with her nails on her lap.

"After you dropped me off… I saw light upstairs and thought that maybe dad had come home. He did. He sat there, on my bed, staring at me as if I was his prey or something. I couldn't even move. And then there lay the empty bags and suitcases. I thought that he was about to leave again and I asked him if he was going to leave again. He denied it and when I thought that all was safe, he told me to pack my things and leave. The bags were not for him, they were for me! He kicked me out! I begged him to explain it to me. I mean, I didn't understand why he did that! When I didn't do as he said, he nearly strangled me to unconsciousness. And when I packed my things, he kicked me out. Without any last words. Nothing! He just fucking kicked me out!"

As she found her voice again, she talked faster and nearly tripped over her own words several times. By the end, her voice had hit a volume that it was just barely acceptable to listen to. She was panting, too excited from recalling the previous night again and she felt how something was coming up her throat again. She kept it in though, she did not was to cry again. Once was more than enough. Especially since she hated crying. It left her tired and exhausted and weak. She hated feeling weak.

The time she realized that she had raised her voice, she looked a bit shocked to Hiccup. "I'm- … I'm sorry. I didn't want to shout at you," she apologized meekly. Hiccup just gave her a crooked smile and answered, "Not the first time you're shouting at me."

"Still, I'm sorry," she insisted, pursing her lips.

"Don't be. It's okay. I told you, you can let it all out. With me at least, for I think you would never hit the rest of us as affectionately as you hit me," he said sarcastically, giving her that lopsided smile. Astrid blushed at that comment and hit him on his arm to hide her embarrassment. Hiccup groaned at that and rubbed the spot. "Yeah. I forgot that you also hide your embarrassment that way- hey!" he barely dodged the pillow that she threw at him. "What was that for?!" he asked, holding a pillow in front of him as a shield. Astrid just did not answer and continued to hit him with the pillow that she just threw. She stopped abruptly as a fact hit her. "Shit! How am I going to pay for the tuition fee?!" she asked more to herself than to Hiccup. Suddenly she was panicking again, going through all the possibilities that she could use in order to manage the financial issues.

Hiccup watched as many different frowns formed on her beautiful face. He could offer her to pay for her tuition but he knew that she would definitely decline. She was too proud to actually rely on someone. The previous night was an exception since the situation called for it. However, now that she had most of her senses back, she began to think and make out a plan. Hiccup had other plans though. He got off his bed and turned to the cupboard, opening it.

"You can think about it later, can't you? How about we eat breakfast and think about it afterwards? Nothing good comes out of rushing," he said as he debated with himself if he should wear the sleeveless hoodie or the green t-shirt. After a minute, he took neither and decided to wear a pullover. When she did not answer, he added, "How does that sound?" When she still did not answer, he turned around and saw her looking at her hands. Her face was contorted in grief and something between anger and displeasure. His face fell. At such times he wished he knew what he could say in order to make it better for her. He approached her again, watching her sitting on his bed. She still did not move. He bent down to flick her forehead and it seemed that it did the trick. Astrid held her forehead and rubbed the spot while she glared at him.

"Why did you do that?"

"You didn't answer me."

"What did you say?"

"That we should eat breakfast and wait until we think about it. You must be hungry."

Astrid was about to shake her head when her stomach grumbled. Hiccup had to bite his lip in order not to burst out laughing. Astrid still saw him keeping it down and threw a pillow at him again. "Fine! Let's eat," she said and stood up.

"As you wish, M'lady," he answered with a mocking bow, which earned him another punch on his arm.

"You're such a dork," she told him, not entirely sure herself if it was meant as a compliment or an insult. She did not care much about it though. The both of them went downstairs and the first thing they saw was Eret being on his knees in front of some smelly socks. His hands were folded against each other and his eyes closed. He mumbled something and bowed three times until he saw the couple at the stairs. "Oh, good morning. How are you?" he asked the blonde, worried about her mental condition. Astrid just gave him a modest smile and waved it off. "I'm okay," she said, clearly lying. She did not want to worry the people who volunteered to help her out. She did not want to be indebted to anyone. "What are you doing?" she asked, curious about the strange behavior of the bulge. Eret looked at his smelly socks before he turned back to her. "Praying," he told her with a blank face. Astrid raised an eyebrow and looked at Hiccup. "Long story," he simply said and guided her to the kitchen. Astrid followed him and sat down at the counter. Hiccup opened the fridge and checked out the ingredients. "Is bacon and eggs okay with you?" he asked while he took them out.

"Yes," she said. She was already living in their generosity; she had no room to be picky. And she loved bacon anyway. Astrid watched silently while Hiccup prepared breakfast for the two. It gave her the room to think about everything again. Even if she did not want to think about it, something like that could not be ignored or forgotten as if it was nothing. The first thing she asked herself was why her father kicked her out now. He could have done it so much sooner but he did not.

Everything was so complicated and did not make any sense to her. She had always tried to meet his expectation, had always tried to please him but for some reason he was never content. He would always look at her with that disappointed and unapproved look. He never told her why and he never talked with her about her mother after the funeral. What would her mother have done if she saw her right now. Suddenly she got a furious headache again. She expected it since it was not the first time. Whenever she was thinking about her mother, a painful headache would overwhelm her nerves and torture her until she found something else to focus on. It was as if her brain does not want to think about it. Like a forbidden forest that lay cursed in the middle of an unknown land. She tried to focus on Hiccup again, forgetting about what she was thinking just seconds ago, waiting for the pain to subside.

* * *

 **A/N:**

To be honest… I was totally motivated after the review of The Burning Pillar. Holy, I was shocked. In a positive way. I got so motivated that after I got back home from work, I immediately sat down on the computer and began to write another chapter. Generally, the 23th and 24th chapter seemed to have left quite an impact on you. I was so uncertain about these two chapters that it actually surprised me to see how you all reacted to it. (mostly in a positive way)

Again, Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 16th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	26. Chapter 26 -When life is laughing at you

**Chapter 26 – When life is laughing at you**

"You could work in DSCS, you know? Meatlug and Eret work and earn their money there. You can stay with us or you could ask Ruffnut. We don't have to rent The Cove. The only thing we have to pay for is electricity and warm water, as well as the internet," Hiccup explained while he cut his fried egg into half with his fork. He salted it a bit and added pepper before he put it into his mouth again. He realized that she did not eat her part though and looked up to her. He swallowed and pointed to her untouched bacon and fried egg. "You don't like it?" he asked, a bit hesitant though. They may be a thing now but he did not know the basic things, as for example, her favorite food, her favorite songs, her favorite movies and so on. Well, there never was a time for them to talk about it anyway since the both of them were always occupied with dancing. Astrid shook her head and smiled at him. "It's not that. I'm just… thinking," she said quietly and began to eat.

"Well, how about- … You could- … I-" Hiccup tried to say something to help her but the sentences got lost midway. Astrid smirked at his poor attempt to comfort her. It was sweet and so adorable of him but what she needed the most was silence and time to think. She pursed her lips and stopped picking at her meal. "Hiccup, you know that I love you right?" she asked him for confirmation, more quietly than she intended to sound.

"Yes," he answered reluctantly, not sure where this conversation might go.

"Okay, um, I need some time for myself… Would it be okay if we didn't talk about this until I know what I'm going to do?"

"Sure. But do know that I'll always listen to you if you need to vent off your feelings."

"Yeah… and another thing. Would you mind if I stayed here for the time being?"

Hiccup lay his fork down, glaring at her. She locked eyes with him, but only in order to show him that she was not weak. Inside, she was already going through every disaster and possible rejection. However, Hiccup had a completely different mindset. He was her boyfriend, he was supposed to protect her and he was supposed to be her support. It hurt him that she did not realize it. Although it was kind of sweet to know that she was not taking him for granted, he still wanted her to rely on him. He thought that she knew that after he let her sleep in his bed, after he had hold on to her while she was a wreck.

"What?" Astrid asked a bit annoyed that he was only glaring at her.

"I'm angry," he said, more annoyed than angry.

"Because I told you to keep silent for a few days?" she burst out, a bit angry. All the feelings and events that happened the last couple of hours were wearing off at her brain cells. She felt numb from all the grief and confusion. All those feelings led her to sound more emotional than she wanted to show.

"Because you're talking to me as if I was a stranger. I want to remind you that I'm still your boyfriend. I will always help you if you have problems. And the situation you're now in is no exception," he scolded her with a lecturing tone. Astrid blushed at his use of term. He had just said that he was her boyfriend although they never really said anything specific about it. She did not mind though since that was what she had waited for all along. She bit on her bottom lip and looked at him. The way he frowned at her was unexpectedly attractive. She found it excessively good how his eyebrows were standing low and nearly meeting his eyelashes.

"Boyfriend, huh?" she said teasingly, grinning at him mischievously. His face slowly turned from a frown into an embarrassed gaze as he realized what he had just unconsciously claimed. Well, it was certain that the two of them were… something. But he had never asked her officially to be his girlfriend, which makes his claim even more embarrassing.

"Well, no, I-"

"Are you telling me that you don't want to be my boyfriend?" she asked, trying to hide her smile to see how he will react.

"No! No, no, no! I do wa-"

"What if I don't want to?"

His face fell. He looked like he was about to cry and she bit her lip. While she was indeed exhausted from the whole situation, she would never get tired of teasing him. Astrid was sitting in front of him at the moment, which gave her a perfect view at him. However, it was inconvenient since she could not touch him freely. She stood up and went around the table, keeping her face as straight as she could manage. When she stood in front of him, he looked at her with fear and hurt. She might have gone overboard with the last comment but she still did like his reaction. She bent down, leaning in a bit before she kissed him. He was about to close his eyes but she already pulled back and grinned at him. "Seems like I have a boyfriend now," she said, standing straight up again. Hiccup gave her a crooked smile, a bit hesitant though.

"Seems like I have a girlfriend now," he responded with a wide smile.

* * *

It was midnight as Astrid lay in her temporary bed. Her eyes were closed and she was turning furiously in her sleep. She was gripping on the covers as if her life depended on it. Her eyes were moving uncontrollably under her eyelids, twitching every now and then. She frowned slightly she gritted her teeth.

* * *

 _Fire. Everywhere she looked, there was fire. Where was she? She was running through the fire. She did not feel the heat and pain physically but somehow it ate away at her heart. Why was she running? So she stopped. But it only resulted in fueling the pain even more. What was the meaning of this? Why was the scene so familiar yet unknown? She looked around, hectically and panicked. What was going on? Something was pulling at her, something strong and warm, pulling her towards a blockaded way. She was about to step back and turn around but whatever was pulling her towards the rubble in front of her, prevented her from moving away. She could not even turn her head away. If there was no way back, then there was only a way forward. So she reached out her hand, about to touch the fire, just to get hit with something. Something, or rather, someone ran into her side and grabbed her around her waist. She wanted to say something but could not. All she saw was the rubble that slowly vanished in the far, fast. Her heart clenched and she opened her mouth. She was screaming something but she could not hear her own voice. She felt tears flowing down her cheek and her head began to ache again. It felt like someone had put thousand needles inside her head and all she could do was cry and scream out of pain. Another pain followed in her chest. As if a dagger had found its way into her heart and ripped it apart. Lastly, the only feeling she had left, was guilt. Guilt? Why was she feeling guilty? Or rather, this… was not reality. There was fire everywhere but nowhere at the same time. The scene felt awfully familiar yet totally foreign and strange. This… was not reality. This… was a-_

* * *

Her eyes shot open as she gasped. She sucked a great amount of air, hyperventilating a bit until she took in the surrounding. She was in The Cove. She was safe. The pain was not as grave as the pain she felt in her dream. She lay in the bed for a few minutes until she calmed down. Why was she awake again? She dreamed about something, but already forgot. If she forgot about it, then it must have not been important. It was probably just a bad nightmare. No wonder, she has been going through a lot of shit recently, so it did not surprise her. She looked at the clock that hung at the wall opposite from her. It was past two. This was not good. She had to wake up early in order to get to BDA. If she did not get enough sleep, she might only disappoint Mr. Clay. And that after she had already agreed to take extra lessons. She closed her eyes again and turned to her side. She was counting numbers, starting from number one. When she hit the thirties, her eyelids got heavier and her body more tired. Then she went back to dreamland.

* * *

Hiccup kept his eyes on her, watching over her like a protective and obsessed father. She liked the attention. She would bite her head off first instead of ever admitting that, but it eased her to know that he was looking out for her. Hiccup sat in the first row while Astrid sat in the third row. Cami sat in the fifth row, the last row, keeping a close look at those two. Her mother had mentioned something about a madman who killed everyone and everything that stood in his way. And apparently, Hiccup's and Astrid's father were both victims to his events. Her mother made it clear as day to her that she should keep her distance from those two, just to be safe.

After theory classes were over, the class made its way to the dance room. They all stretched and bent, warming up for the lessons that were to come. Astrid sat at the side of the room, her eyes falling shut every five minutes. She was tired. After she fell asleep again, she had the same nightmare again. The dark bags under her eyes were not that visible but still there. Her head hurt, not from the events that she had gone through but because of the lack of sleep. She was annoyed that she was so tired, annoyed and stressed. She closed her eyes to take a little rest before Mr. Clay arrived. She had to pay attention in order for her not to fall asleep.

Mr. Clay opened the door and looked around. He clapped his hands after he took notes to himself who was absent and who not. To his luck, nobody was missing. "Alright, get up. Pair up! Oh, with a slight difference. Hiccup, you're going to dance with Leanne. Astrid, you're going to dance with Aron," he said before he placed his notes away. Cami watched the couple react. Astrid shot up, completely awake now that she heard the new pairing. She would have been okay with Cami being with Hiccup or any other girl, but why did it have to be Leanne?! Hiccup was not enthused himself. He did not like the thought of Astrid dancing with some random guy who was not him. He did not even like it when Eret or the twins danced with her. He was even jealous once when Astrid had asked Hookfang for some new tricks.

It seemed like Leanne was the only one who was pleased with the matchup, for she was the first to react. "Really?" she asked with more enthusiasm than needed. The only thing that followed was a telepathically thought of the couple, "What?!" Mr. Clay looked at the unpleasant gaze and shot Astrid a warning look. She already had a talk with him so he expected her to give it her all and to accept his decisions. She fell back immediately and clicked her tongue. Now _that_ was annoying. She really did not want to get on the bad side of the principal. Especially now that she really needed to be in favor of BDA if her tuition fee really was going to be a threat.

She felt like something was going to happen, she did not know what. But she did feel it. She was annoyed, she was stressed, and that matchup just pissed her off another notch. All in all, the whole day was screwed up. She might as well burst out in frustration but no. She was Astrid Hofferson. She was not going to show any more weaknesses. She had to keep a cool head and maybe this day will pass faster than she expected. Maybe.

* * *

 **A/N:**

My back hurts and I'm tired. But, since I love you all so much I kept on writing. Well, it's a bit shorter this time but only because I plan on another conflict and event in the next chapters. Well, every event needs its 'introduction' so bear with it? Haha

Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 17th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	27. Chapter 27 - Rely on me

**Chapter 27 – Rely on me**

Aron had blond hair and was just as tall as Eret. His hair was a tad longer than short and styled to the side, spikes turning upward. He had muscles and was handsome compared to the rest of the class. If the girls were to vote for the hottest guy in class, it would most probably go to Aron or Hiccup. Those who preferred the cool and mature guy would definitely go for Aron. Those who were more enthused by the childish type yet overprotective and sweet kind of guy would go for Hiccup. It was more or less the reason why Hiccup did not dance with his whole heart today. He was constantly glancing at Astrid and Aron, forgetting about Leanne completely. _Damn that Aron._ If people would have to describe him, they would definitely say that Aron looked like an angel descended from Heaven- or something like that. He hated those kind of people who only wore a polite smile, a fake smile, a scheming smile. He could not read them and it annoyed him. Before he realized it, his rhythm was off, which caused Leanne to trip over him.

"Sh- I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention," he apologized to Leanne who just waved it off.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine. See? Didn't hurt myself anywhere," she said reassuringly.

Hiccup helped her stand up again, not noticing that Astrid was also watching. She clicked her tongue and frowned. She did not know what caused the fall but she presumed that it pleased Leanne more than necessary. She hated that smug smile of her. Aron looked to Hiccup and then to Astrid. He repeated the same motion several times until it clicked. "Are you two going out?" he asked her, smiling politely. Astrid snapped her head back at him and still frowned. "Yes," she hissed at him before she looked back to her boyfriend. Aron scratched his head and looked around before his eyes lay on her again. "You should trust your boyfriend more then," he suggested with a polite undertone. Astrid growled and glared furiously at him.

"I _do_ believe my boyfriend. But I fucking do _not_ believe that tramp!" she hissed so quiet and sharply that it nearly came off as a silent sentence to death. Aron just smiled unbiased and grabbed her a bit tighter around the waist. Astrid was about to actually hit him when he raised his voice.

"You two might be going out, but that doesn't matter here in BDA. Mr. Clay personally wanted to teach us and I'm grateful for that. I want to improve my skills here instead of watching this childish jealousy that you two emit. I want to become a professional, that's why I applied here. Why are you here?" he asked reproachful. There it was again, that dumb question. Everyone had these high expectations of her. Everyone asked her the same fucking question, _Why_? She hated it. Can't she just do what she enjoys doing? Is it wrong to apply somewhere where you can exercise your hobby to the fullest?

"Why?" she mumbled inaudibly as she faced the ground. "Why?!"

Aron was confused. He was the one who asked her first but he did not expect her to repeat the question in itself. Astrid's face got paler by the second, though he did not notice it. Why, why was everyone asking her that? Why is she here? Why is she still here? Why did he kick her out? He had so many chances to do so but why now? Why now, when everything was about to seem perfect and just peaceful? She did not understand, her mind broke down as the seconds passed. Seconds began to feel like minutes. Minutes began to feel like hours. Her sense of time seemed to vanish together with her sense of orientation. Why were the nightmares so painful when all the other nightmares were harmless bad dreams? Why did this nightmare with the fire repeat every time she fell asleep? Why did she feel like there was something missing and why could she not recall it even after hours of desperation and thinking? She had brushed the first two times away as if it was something normal. But after she began to dream the nightmare again, she became self-conscious. There had to be a reason why she was dreaming it – again the why. Why, why, why!

Aron got worried as Astrid's eyes were glued to something on the ground. He held her up and was afraid to let go since her balance seemed off. Her breathing got uneven and then he felt her weight against him. She fell to her knees, trembling. Aron was about to help her when he felt someone shove him aside. "Get away!" Hiccup shouted and turned his attention to Astrid. He cupped her cheeks and tried to lock eyes with her but they were somewhere far away. "Astrid, hey, Astrid!" he called out to her and shook her a bit. She was mumbling something inaudible repeatedly which took his attention. He leaned in to listen close to her words. "W-Why did he leave me… why am I still here… why am I doing all this…"

By the time Hiccup was at Astrid's side, the class immediately stopped dancing and turned their attention to the couple. Some were worried and some looked at them suspiciously. Mr. Clay hurried to their side to look what was going on. Astrid was at the edge of hyperventilating and Hiccup tried to calm her down. Mr. Clay lay a hand on her back and stroke it, trying to ease her. When no progress was made, he decided to let Hiccup and Astrid go take a rest. "Hiccup, take her to the infirmary and call her guardian to pick her up," he instructed and Hiccup hesitated a bit before he obliged. He did not know if he could entrust Mr. Clay with the secret of them both. He helped Astrid stand up but she was about to fall over several times until he decided to carry her. He lifted her in bridal style and carried her out of the room. Leanne just looked at the retreating form of Hiccup and sighed. What she would give to be in place of Astrid.

Astrid's chest hurt. It hurt so much. She thought she had overcome reality but that proved to be wrong as she felt like gasping at a void. She feared that there was not enough air as she sucked at it. It was like a domino game. Whenever there was something that would remind her of reality, more and more questions that she had buried deep within her heart would come up again like a roaring fire that slept for years in her heart. It burned angry and sad, hurt and wounded, crying for everything to just burn down. "Hiccup…" she muttered and put her arms around his neck, burying her face into it. He hugged her tighter and brought her to the infirmary. When he pulled back, she gripped even tighter at him. She was looking at him with fear and uncertainty. He smiled at her and held her hands. "I'll get our bags and then we'll go home, alright?" he suggested.

"Home…?"

"Yeah, home. The Cove."

Astrid nodded and accepted the answer while Hiccup rushed back to the dance room. After he came up with a lie for Mr. Clay, he hurried back to Astrid and walked with her to the bus station. When they sat in the bus next to each other, neither of them talked. Hiccup stared at her as he tried to understand what was going on in her head but he too was only human. Maybe he could distract her – at least it would keep her thoughts away from her father and everything that seemed to follow that fateful night. He slipped his hands under hers and held them close. "Since we're going home earlier than expected, would you like to come with me patrolling the underground hall?" he asked her.

Astrid, uninterested in being lost in her thoughts anymore, looked at him curiously. She only knew about the surface where every dance battle is held but she had never been deeper into the ground, the backstage. In some way, she was indeed interested in checking out the underground hall, so she nodded. It would do her no good if she kept on grieving about something in the past – she knew. She knew that but people cannot turn their feelings into nothingness. It was against nature.

You can close your eyes of something you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart of something you do not want to feel. It was a golden rule that no one could escape from, not even the strongest warriors. She simply had to get used to the idea although it might be difficult at first. She had already promised herself that she would stay strong and grit her teeth if necessary, yet here she was again, relying on Hiccup.

* * *

 _She was trying to do a backflip but the fear ate away at her. What if she hit her head or broke something? Her father would definitely scold her. Still, she wanted to be awesome, she wanted to be equal to him. She wanted to be equal to everyone on the world. She hated it that adults treated her like an unknown and naïve child. She was definitely not a child. She was proud seven years old and for her it was better than being in the late seventies. Heck, she really did not want to get wrinkles._

 _Hiccup was standing on the stone again, showing her for the umpteenth time how she should do it. "Listen, you have to go into your knees and jump backwards! Then you pull your knees to your body and with enough jump power, you will land on your feet. Simple, isn't it?" he explained to her, jumping again as if it was natural. Astrid pulled herself up to the stone and looked down at the spot where Hiccup had previously landed. Shit, from up there it really seemed higher than it actually was._

" _I-It's too high!" Astrid tried to excuse herself and came down, again. Hiccup sighed and scratched his head. "You can't jump if you're afraid," he nagged at her, which made her blood boil. Who does he think he is?_

" _I'm not afraid!" she yelled at him and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was pouting and looking away, giving him a hard time as always. Hiccup sighed again and pulled her to the middle of the clearing. He positioned himself behind her and bent his knees._

" _W-What are you doing?" she asked him confused and irritated._

" _We'll work on your fear. You close your eyes and let yourself fall and I will catch you," he said matter-of-factly. Astrid gave him a dumb look._

" _What?"_

" _I_ said _, we'll work on your fear. You have to clo-"_

" _I heard you dumbass! What I mean is…_ What _?!"_

" _Gods. You wanted to learn the backflip! Now I'm trying to show you and you don't even trust me!"_

" _Damn right! You're still a stranger," she quipped and looked at him with unbiased eyes._

" _I don't understand you! You don't even make sense!" he groaned and held his head. Indeed, it was annoying that she still said those things like him being a stranger although they have met each other for over two months now. However, what frustrated him more was the fact that he could not get close to her. Since the first day they had met, her smile would always blend him like radiant sunshine. He wanted to show her the same, something that could make her day, and for the current day, it was accomplishing the backflip. And for that, he had to motivate her somehow._

" _If you're afraid, then I guess I won't show you," he provoked her. They may only know each other for two months but he knew that she was extremely competitive._

" _What did you just say?" she growled at him._

" _You. Are. Afraid."_

" _Am. Not."_

" _You are."_

" _Not!"_

" _Then prove me!"_

" _Fine!" she shouted out of reflex and covered her mouth. Shit, now he had what he wanted and she hated it. He always did that. Now look at that smug grin on his face. She will make sure to wipe it off his face. He stood behind her and watched her back. She closed her eyes and frowned a bit. What if he was not strong enough in order to catch her? She would get hurt and it would be his fault – entirely his fault. She bit her lip. Damn that smug asshole, she will prove him wrong. She was not afraid, definitely not. She spread out her arms and took a deep breath. Her heart was racing and all she could hear was the chirping of the birds and the rustling of leafs and bushes._

 _One… two… three… and she let herself fall backwards. She felt how the air hissed next to her ear as it flows from under her back upwards. She felt her hair whipping in the wind and the second she thought she might hit the ground, she opened her eyes out of reflex. She was about to cushion her fall with her hands when she felt two arm holding her under her armpits. She looked up and found Hiccup looking down at her, grinning widely._

" _I told you that I'd catch you," he said smugly and pulled her up. She could still feel her heart beating hardly against her chest. It was… frightening, yet somehow exciting. She never relied on someone other than her father. And that stopped as well after her mother had died. People were cruel – they lie, they betray, they look down on each other. But he was different. He never lied even once at her, never betrayed her expectations and always looked at her as an equal. That was probably the reason why she found herself in the middle of the forest every single day._

" _You know, you can't do everything alone. Sometimes it's better to rely on someone," Hiccup said._

" _Sure. Then why are you doing everything alone?" she countered and was surprised when his smile vanished._

" _Because I had no other choice. If I had a choice, I would have relied on someone," he replied with sad eyes and a quiet voice. Somehow she pitied him. Maybe he was the same as her. Maybe he also had problems in his family or in school. He looked so sad that she could not bear it. Normally she was not soft. She would always give the other kids the cold shoulder but maybe… just maybe… she could trust him… and rely on him._

" _Well, then how about you start relying on me?" she asked. Hiccup's face lit up and he nodded._

" _Yes, that would be nice. In return, you can rely on me!" he exclaimed and gave her a crooked smile, showing his white teeth, although there was a little gap between them. It was so goofy… and sweet._

* * *

 **A/N:**

And I'm done. This chapter focuses more on Astrid's insight and thoughts about the past events. Although she may appear strong in the movie, I still think that humans have a certain limit. She might appear strong and sure from the outside but I believe that even the strongest persons have feelings that could take them down one day. Well, what do you think about it?

As always, thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 19th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	28. Chapter 28 - The way you look at me

**Chapter 28 – The way you look at me**

When they arrived in the underground hall, she met the familiar outline of the stage and its hall. The only difference was that it was completely empty except for some who were taking care of the place. The moment they lay eyes on Hiccup, their faces lit up. Hiccup waved at them as he guided her behind the stage. The walls were all clustered with wood planks for some reason. She soon found out why. Hiccup went towards the barrels and pushed them to the side. After that, he pushed the wood plank of the wall to the back. Astrid heard something trigger and the plank moved to the side. It revealed stairs that went down somewhere. The walls were illuminated by candles, which gave the whole atmosphere a somewhat creepy feeling. Hiccup casually took her hand and held it firm in his. She followed him for nearly fifteen minutes until they reached a solid ground again. At the end of the corridor was light as she could hear lively chatter.

When she reached her destination, she was greeted by a giant hall. There were several floors with hundreds of doors. The middle of every floor was free, which enabled the people to look down at the first floor from the top. The first floor was nothing but chairs and tables. It seemed to be the dining hall as there were thousands of people sitting and eating there. It was a bit smelly but bearable. What shocked her the most was that the majority were mere abandoned children and teenagers. They all gathered around Hiccup immediately the moment they saw him. Everyone called out his name as he smiled and waved at them. It was a fascinating sight, as if he was some sort of star… or king.

Kids ran up to him, jumped at him and hugged him. Some showed him the new moves that they learned and some were telling him what they had achieved, no matter if it was cooking, laundry, dancing, reading or something else. Everyone showed him with pride and joy their achievement. Astrid could only watch and behold. She had never seen something like this. They were like a big family, looking out for each other- living for each other. It was astonishing. After a while, a girl noticed Astrid and looked up to Hiccup with a questioned look, "Who's that?" Hiccup smiled, his eyes softening at the change of topic. He gestured with his hand to Astrid and answered, "This is Astrid."

All the kids and teenagers turned their gaze to Astrid. _Urgh, that definitely is uncomfortable._ They all grinned dumbly as they began to whisper to each other and to Hiccup. Thereupon he blushed and tried to shut their mouth by pressing his hands on their mouth. Okay, now Astrid knew that they were talking about her, which got her curious… like, _really_ curious. Another girl that seemed to be around seven years old, approached Astrid and tucked at her sleeve. Astrid looked down to the small girl with a questioned look, "Yes?"

"Where is your baby?" she asked straight out. Astrid choked at the question and made sure she heard it right. _Baby?!_ She was just seventeen, she does not have enough money for herself, not to mention for a baby! "I don't have one," she answered simply and smiled. The girl hummed and looked back to Hiccup, then again to Astrid. "But you are married. Why don't you have a baby?"

"Married? Who told you that?"

"Hiccup said, he wanted to mar-"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Hiccup yelled loudly to overtone the little girls voice. He put a hand on her mouth and glared at her. The girl just stood there and gave him a blank look that clearly told him _Is there a problem?_ "Alicia, why don't you go take a look if the cooks need your help?" he asked with a panicked voice. The girl was still staring at him, not comprehending why he was so nervous.

"But we've already eaten?"

"Still! Maybe they need your help."

The girl just nodded and went off. He let out a relieved sigh until he remembered that Astrid was still standing behind him. When he turned, he could see her smirk at him with a raised eyebrow. Gods, it just had to get awkward. "What did that sweet little girl want to say just there?" she asked him, frowning a bit in order to intimidate him. Hiccup just turned around and smiled nervously.

"Ah, it was nothing, really," he said before he grabbed her hand and dragged her off. He showed her the facility, trying to change the topic. Astrid was chuckling to herself since she already knew what Alicia intended to say. She would lie if she said that she did not want to be with Hiccup forever but she had never thought about marriage. Still, it was nice to know that he really loved her from the bottom of his heart, to the point that he wanted to marry her.

* * *

When they returned to The Cove, they both blinked several times before they believed what they actually saw. Ruffnut and Eret were making out on the couch. Hiccup could not help but blush while Astrid was more resistant to the image. She cleared her throat and the two on the couch turned their heads to the couple. "Hey guys!" Ruffnut called out cheerfully. Eret stood up and went up to Hiccup, who was still looking confused. He covered his mouth with a hand at the side, whispering to him, "My socks work wonders. My friend, I tell you, this is no coincidence!" He then went back to Ruffnut and cuddled with her. Now he really was out of his mind. Hiccup just sighed in the end and smiled. It certainly had been a while since Eret had decided something for himself.

On the way to his room, Astrid decided to ask him about the mystery around the socks. "What is that thing with Eret and socks?" she asked him while he opened the door.

"Oh, that's a funny story. When he was in high school, he was on the football team. They were playing against their rival school. Their school never won against them but on one game, they won. Eret wore his favorite white socks and landed a touchdown, which earned them the win. At first, he thought that it was just luck or skill or something. But then he graduated and searched for a university that could let him play football. He had hardships finding one… or rather, passing the exams for one. When he said that he'll take the exam of the last university that he knew had football included, he wore his white socks again and he got in. After that he always prayed to his socks before he wore them every time he was in a dire situation, and for some reason it always works. Seems like this morning he was praying for something to happen with Ruffnut," he explained as he threw his bag to his desk. He jumped on his bed landed on his stomach, grabbing the pillow and pulling it underneath his face. He groaned and lay there for seconds before Astrid joined him, though she jumped _on_ him instead of next to him.

"Careful, M'lady. You'll break my back," Hiccup quipped and grinned at her. Astrid just gave him a slap on his head for indirectly saying that she was heavy. "Or my head." She just snorted and lay down next to him, facing the ceiling. "So? You wanted to marry me?" Astrid asked amused. Hiccup sighed, "Can't we just forget that?"

"Nope. It's about me, so I want to know."

Hiccup sat up and leaned into the back of his bed. "Yes," he simply said.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I wanted to marry you."

"Wanted? Past form?" she asked teasingly as she flashed him her white teeth while grinning.

"Well- you know- … I, erm, I still… err… want to," he said as he looked at her, a bit too defensive for her taste.

"Want to what?"

"Want to- … wait, you're having fun!" he accused her as she grinned even wider.

"Of course, if you haven't noticed yet, I really love to tease you," she answered, scooting closer to his face. He blushed which caused her to chuckle. She would never get enough of him. She rested her chin on his shoulder and watched him calming down his nerves by breathing slowly in and out. "I wouldn't mind being with you forever, you know?" she said softly. His head snapped to look at her. His eyes were wide as he realized that she had just indirectly accepted his unspoken proposal. She was looking at him, as a person. Her eyes were beautiful, a light sapphire blue that shimmered if illuminated by the light. He could feel the urge coming up again. All he wanted was to drown in these beautiful eyes. Normally he was not a strong person, he would avoid holding up a stare or gaze. It made him uncomfortable, but if it were her eyes, he would love to stare at her for an eternity.

Astrid realized that he too was lost in her eyes as she was in his. His eyes were so clear that she could see herself reflected in them.

They both slowly drew closer as their lips met. He was still looking at her, staring at her while he kissed her gently. He never knew how she looked like while they kissed - what her expressions would be. Now he had the chance to observe closely. When her mouth was slightly open, he slid his tongue in and watched. While they were dancing with their tongues around each other, he saw her eyelids close halfway. He saw the desperation in her eyes to keep them open. She wanted to enjoy the kiss, to just feel him, but something in his eyes caught her attention. There was… lust, desire, love and years of unspoken words.

He bit lightly on her bottom lip and she moaned. She did not realize that he was already on top of her, pushing her down on her back while they kissed. Her mind was clouded and numb. All she could see were his emerald green eyes. Then she felt his hands crawling under the edge of her shirt, grabbing her waist tightly, which somehow turned her on. Of course, she loved the sweet and kind Hiccup, but who said that she did not like it rough and raw as well? She never knew since Hiccup is her first but the mere imagination turned her on. If he pinned her down, she would definitely like it.

He lay down on her, pressing his body onto hers as he supported himself with an arm next to her head. The other hand was roaming under her shirt. She was so lost in his eyes that she completely forgot that she had hands. If he could touch her then she could do the same as well. She pulled his shirt over his head, Hiccup obliging by taking his hands from her body and helping her in raising his arms. She threw the shirt on the ground and resumed to kiss him. Her hands found its way to his abdomen, touching the appendage of his muscles. The touch sent shivers down Hiccup's spine, making him more heated and numb.

He placed himself between her legs, tracing his tongue from her lips down over her jaw to her neck. The hickey he left there several days ago was already fading and he decided to renew it. He bit at the spot and kissed it, gently, then harder, sucking at it so that the blood ran to the surface, leaving a hickey. While he did that, she trembled from excitement. She was humming and trying to speak coherent but to no avail. She could not talk properly, her mind mushed and her tongue tied. She forgot about her father, she forgot about BDA and all she was focusing on now was the young man that lay on top of her.

His lips came back to search attention from her lips while he was already rolling her shirt up. Her hands were now around his torso, stroking his back in a maddening way. Sometimes her pinky finger would find its way underneath the edge of his boxers that stuck out of his pants a bit. It would always cause him to lose control over his mind repeatedly but it never forced him to shut his eyes. He was still watching at her expressions and it drove him mad. She was breathing hard, her eyes were half-open and her gaze clouded. All the heat surged through his veins, gathering down at his groin. It was painfully hard to keep himself from rocking against her hips.

He tried to distract himself by moving his hands. He slowly pulled at her shirt and halted midway, waiting for her permission. She then took her hands from him and held them to the air. He pulled the shirt over her head and lay it somewhere on the bed. He did not care where the shirt landed, all he wanted to know was how to make her squirm more. They locked eyes and time stood still. All they sensed was the breathing of the other one and the desire for more.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Well, well, well, the next chapter will be the reason for the M rating.

Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 21st October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	29. Chapter 29 - Until death do them part

**Chapter 29 – Until death do them part**

They were kissing again, this time more gently though. Her hands were roaming over his back while she enjoyed the chaste touch of his lips on her skin. He held her firm underneath him as his dragged his lips to her collarbone. She gasped and pulled him closer, if that was even possible. While his lips and tongue were working wonders on her skin, she had the chance to take a good look at his tattoos without any cloth to hide parts of it. Her eyes wandered from his messy hair to his broad shoulders, down to his arms, which was more muscled now in comparison to ten years ago. Her eyes then looked up again since Hiccup stopped kissing her, hovering over her like an animal who was about take his prey. She then pulled him down to hug him. She wanted to feel every inch of him, having him as close as possible. They resumed their make-out session again, this time, closing their eyes in order to just feel. Everything was black while they moved against each other.

Hiccup wanted more of her, which was the reason why he kissed her even deeper, sliding his tongue into her mouth again. Both felt how the temperature rose for no particular reason. Meanwhile, Astrid felt something hard against her thigh. She did not notice right away but when she did, the first thing she thought was that maybe there was something in his pockets. She tried to take a more comfortable position, not wanting to have a bruise on her thigh. When she did, Hiccup groaned into the kiss and breathed a bit harder. Only then it hit her, realizing what the hard thing really was. She blushed at the thought but before she could get lost in it, she felt his lips on her neck again, causing her to arch her back for a second as she bit on her lip.

Hiccup loved the sensation of her skin, and he wanted to feel more, so he tucked at the edge of her jeans. Astrid knew immediately what he intended to do and opened the zipper as she raised her butt a bit. Hiccup pulled the pants over her butt, down to her knees while he kissed her abdomen. It caused her blood to boil and flow down to the spot where he kissed her. It did not make it better that he only had to move his head a bit lower to meet her secret place. She moaned at his gentle touch and grabbed at the cover next to her until her fingers turned white. She really wanted him to move a bit lower.

Hiccup stopped kissing her in order to pull her pants down completely, throwing it to the ground. He came up to meet her eyes again, his mouth agape as he tried to even his breath, which was a hard task. The one and only girl he had admired for years now, the girl he loved from the bottom of his heart and the girl who looked more beautiful than any other girl was lying beneath him half naked. She wore white underwear although it did not seem that her bra matched her panty. Then it finally hit him. He had only followed his instincts until now, totally forgetting that what they both were about to do may be too rushed. They only got official a few days ago. He did think about her in many ways, which included the sexual desire for her but he never thought that he would become her boyfriend one day. And now that he was, he did not want her to think that he only wanted her body.

Astrid noticed the irritated look in his eyes and placed a hand on his cheek. "Is there something wrong?" she asked him quietly. Hiccup pulled himself up, revealing his body as well as the bulge in his pants to her full sight. She tried to keep her eyes on his, which was challenging, since she really wanted to take a close look at it. Hiccup was rubbing his face and sighing while he sat down next to her. Astrid became worried and sat up as well. "I, uhm, I don't want to rush things," he admitted quietly as he pulled one of his legs to his chest, to hide the bulge in his pants. It was also easier for Astrid to concentrate on the topic instead of trying to keep her eyes glued to his.

"Why do you think that this is rushed?"

" _Because_ , we only got official two days ago!"

"Is that a problem?" she asked with a gentle smile, scooting closer next to him.

"N-No, it's not! It's just-"

"Hiccup."

"Y-Yes?"

"I want you," she whispered into his ear and grinned at him while he turned tomato-red. He gulped and swore it became even tighter in his pants. Astrid did not lie when she said it aloud. Obviously, she had already masturbated. Who in her age had not? Everyone who told the opposite was simply a liar. In her case though, she always imagined Hiccup on top of her, beneath her and in front of her. She had wished for so many times to be taken by him. Reality probably differed from her daydreams about sex but she wanted him nonetheless. Sometimes she tried to put two finger in, curious how it would feel to have something inside her, which hurt a bit though, not painfully but still.

Hiccup tried to calm his nerves. She had just given him permission to take her, so what was he waiting for? It was the insecurity that stopped him from jumping at her. Maybe she was still trying to forget about her father and wants to have sex with him in order to forget. He would not allow that though. "I don't want to take advantage of you," he replied with furrowed brows.

"You're not. I want it just as much as you do."

"But you're not even over the night with your father and-"

"I couldn't care less about my father. Right now, the only one I want is you," she said with a seductive look, pushing him onto his back as she straddled his hips. He was painfully aware at the spot where his clothed member was hitting and it drove him insane. She rocked once against the bulge and it earned her a moan from him. She bit at her bottom lip and smirked at him. She loved the sight of him nervously trying to keep calm, to no avail though. She leaned down to him again and kissed him. He returned the kiss, though a bit sloppy. His hands were on her waist, modestly going a bit lower until he grabbed her ass. Surprised by the touch, Astrid jerked, groaning at the sensation that burned in her lower part. Hiccup pushed his hips up as a reflex and moaned. He had to get rid of his pants and that as soon as possible.

While Astrid was nipping on his neck, he was already pulling his pants down a bit. When she finished her work on his neck, she stood up on her knees, giving him the space to remove his pants. After a minute, they were both staring at each other. Astrid sat down on his member and kissed him again. Hiccup felt as if he was robbed off his manliness and decided to change that. He grabbed her thigh and turned her around again. Now he was hovering over her and it pleased him. Astrid, who actually hated it when people tried to dominate her, was making a special exception for him only. Her pride would never allow anyone to dominate her in any way, but if it was Hiccup, she could put her pride aside.

They were making out again, Hiccup's hands searching beneath her back for the part to undo her bra. He found it quickly, but it took him several minutes longer until he actually freed her from the tightness of the bra. When it came loose, he pulled it away, revealing her breasts. He was staring at her as if he had just opened his Christmas present, his eyes sparkling while he brought his hands up slowly. He was touching her breast gently, afraid he might hurt her and closed his mouth around one of her nipples. Astrid gasped as she arched her back. Her hands were tangled in his hair and on his back, trying to hold him close. He was massaging her breasts gently as he nipped at them. When he flicked his tongue over her nipple, she could not help but moan. She felt how much wetter she got with every passing second he paid her attention with his lips. She grew impatient and as much as she loved his kindness, she needed him, like, _now_. She was pulling his boxers down, not caring about his permission since she already knew that he wanted her too. He just halted every now and then to show her that he was considerate, and she knew, but she could not care less.

Hiccup understood her impatience for he too wanted to take her. He took over as he pulled his boxers down completely, dragging it off with his feet. He then pulled her panty down her delicate legs and threw it on the pile of clothes on the ground. They both took a break from the kissing to look down between their legs. They could not help it, they had never seen the real thing and now they were about to have each other. Hiccup had watched porns before, but to actually do it was completely different. He knew that she had to be wet, or he might hurt her, and hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do. So he put his hands over her fold to test it. What he did not expect was for her to drown his fingers in her juices. _Was that… a good sign?_ She obviously was wet. Was he allowed to put it in then? As if Astrid could read his mind, she grabbed his member, more tightly than she intended to, causing him to rock into her hand. He blushed, embarrassed from his previous motion and tried to hide his face in her neck. She was lining him up against her entrance and he was about to push in when he suddenly realized something.

"W-Wait! Uhm… I, I don't have a condom…" he admitted sheepishly, about to pull away when Astrid pulled him towards her again. "Astrid, I-I can't! I mean, I wouldn't mind taking r-responsibility b-but we're just-"

"Hiccup, calm down. I'm on the pill," Astrid said as she snickered at him. He sometimes really was overthinking too much, and she liked it, she really did, but now it was just annoying her since it prevented him from entering her.

"What- Why are you on the pill?"

"To regulate my period cycle. Now, could you please shut up and take me, _please_? This conversation is turning me off," she scoffed as she eagerly scooted closer to him. He blushed and just nodded in silence as he lined himself up against her entrance. He looked back up to her and looked a bit worried, "Are you sure about this?"

"Fuck, Hiccup! Just take me, will you?!" she groaned annoyed.

"Woah, I never realized how much you actually want me. Guess I'll have no choice but to fulfill your wish then," he said cheekily as he pushed himself into her. They both moaned in unison at the unfamiliar contact. She knew that his member might be bigger than two fingers, but she was surprised at how big he actually was. He was stretching her insides, reaching the deepest caverns inside her. His mind broke down and suddenly all he wanted to do was to fuck her senseless. However, his face fell when he saw her contorted face. She was still getting used to the his member and tried to calm down.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Gods, I'm sorry, should I pull out?" Hiccup asked panicked and was really about to pull out when her hands grabbed at his ass, causing him to push even deeper. Hiccup yelped at that while Astrid was trembling. This time however, it was not due to the stinging pain but because of the pleasure and excitement that surged through her veins.

"I'm fine. It just stings a bit but it's okay now. Keep going," she encouraged him as she closed her legs around his hips. Hiccup was still unsure about it but obliged. He pulled out a bit before he pushed it back in. He really had to use all of his sanity in order to keep control over his body. It was warm and wet inside her, which made him want to rock into her even more. To Astrid's part, she was still not satisfied. She put her arms around his torso, pulling him down to her as she whispered into his ear, "Harder… faster… please…"

Hiccup blushed at the command and obliged more than eagerly. He took up the pace and rocked faster and harder into her. He was already breathing hard and keeping himself from spilling inside her. He really wanted to let it out but first, he wanted to make her cum. He pressed his lips on hers as he supported himself with his elbows next to her head. Astrid moaned and attempted to cry out his name several times. The pain that she felt at the beginning had already subsided and the only things that were left to feel were pleasure and bliss. The bed screeched as they melted into each other, kissing passionately as they drove themselves to the top.

Suddenly, Hiccup felt her finger nails digging painfully into his back, which made him jerk deeply into her. Her insides tightened a bit around his member as he repeated the same motion again and again.

"A-Astrid… gods above, Astrid…! I love you, I love you so fucking much!" he moaned into her ear as he bit lightly on her earlobe. In response, she dragged her nails over his back, trying to hold onto him as hard as she could while she felt the heat rise uncontrollably fast. Another two thrusts were enough to make her fall apart. Her insides tightened painfully as she gasped for air, "Hi-Hiccup!"

That did it, he thrust into her another few times until he followed her into the abyss. After he spilled, his motions slowed down and stopped entirely. He lay on top of her, both breathing hard. Hiccup pulled out and looked at her. She was covered in sweat and looking at him like a goddess of seduction. She was smiling at him and all he thought was that he was the luckiest guy on earth. He really could not give her up, even if the world would try to separate them, he would never ever let go of her again. He took her left hand and closed his eyes, giving her ring finger a chaste kiss before he moved his lips on hers again, sealing the silent promise that he wanted to give her.

He would never let go of her, _until death do them part_.

* * *

 **A/N:**

*fidget* Erm… yeah. *blushes furiously*

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. (I really hope so?)

Date of Update: 22nd October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	30. Chapter 30 - The game

**Chapter 30 – The game**

Hookfang had a sixth sense, a rather obnoxious one at that. The only advantage it gave him was that he could tease Meatlug with it. "Meatlug?" he called out. The girl in question put her head out of the kitchen door and looked at him, "Yes?"

"Could you bring Hiccup the leather book that he asked me to buy?" he asked while he sat on the couch, reading the newspaper. Meatlug looked around, wondering why he asked her instead of the others. Her question got answered as she saw Eret and Ruffnut making out while the twins got themselves new tattoos from Heather. Thuggory was repairing something as he tinkered with the unused parts. And Hookfang, well, Hookfang was Hookfang. He would try to have as little contact with other people as possible, except her.

"Sure," she answered as she took the leather book that lay on the table. She went upstairs and followed the corridor. She was five meters away from the door when she heard something muffled. She halted and concentrated from where the sounds, or rather moans, came. It was probably Toothless and Stormfly who were at it again so she shook it off as nothing. For some reason though, she heard the moans from Hiccup's room instead of Toothless' next door. What? Were Toothless and Stormfly doing it in Hiccup's bed? Heck, that was a level too much for her. She would scold them thoroughly, she decided.

She ripped the door to Hiccup's room open and was about to hold an ethical sermon for them until she found Hiccup naked underneath a sweaty Astrid. The couple yelled and pulled a blanket over their bodies as they tried to hide their most private parts. Meatlug was looking at them for a split second and then at the desk. _Keep calm, Meatlug. You did not see that. It was just your imagination._ She went to the desk and put the leather book on the desk. Then she turned around, her back pivoting to the couple as she took large steps to the door. She turned her head towards them for a second again before she turned to back to the door. "Nope. I didn't see that," she told more to herself than to the couple as she left and let the door fall shut. She leaned her back against the door, sighing and keeping silent for a moment before she yelled, "Hookfang!"

Everyone in The Cove jumped at the sudden shout, especially since it was Meatlug who they were talking about. She was usually so calm and collected that they never heard her shout before, not in a negative way, that is. Of course, they have heard her call out to them in a loud voice if diner was ready or things like that but never… like _that_. Not to mention that Hookfang, who was always the neutral and cool type, was the cause of it. Thuggory stopped his tinkering while Heather took a break from the tattooing. The twins were poking their heads out of the door with Heather right next to them. Eret and Ruffnut were gone, going out to… wherever they went.

Meatlug was stumbling the stairs down as she rushed to Hookfang. Reaching her destination, she stood in front of him, breathless and embarrassed. She was blushing really hard and Hookfang assumed that it was either because of the running or because of the scene she saw. Hookfang tried to bite down his laugh that was about to come out – it was hard not to. "Is there a problem?" he asked her innocently, his true feelings threatening to creep onto his face.

"Y-You knew! You knew that- that- the thing upstairs, you knew!" she accused him hysterically, "And you knew that thing with Blackie and Blue too!" Blackie and Blue were nicknames that the two of them had come up with for Toothless and Stormfly in order to talk about their secrets without the Crew noticing.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said nonchalantly as he flipped the page of the newspaper. Meatlug was still blushing hard as she tried to remove the image that just got burnt into her mind. She loved her friends but she never ever wanted to know about their private life! It should have been a mystery for her and she wanted to keep it that way, but for some reason Hookfang always knew who and when and where people were _mating_. And he always used that knowledge in order to tease her. He knew that she would never try it until the right man appeared, not even for a one night stand or an experience. That was the kind of girl Meatlug was, which made her more appealing than she thought she was.

"Oh no, don't say that now. I know that you know! Why are you doing that?!" she asked furiously, embarrassed by walking in on her friends again.

"As I already said, I don't know what you're talking about," he lied with a silver tongue.

Meatlug glared at him before she stomped back into the kitchen. Hookfang thought that he was safe and therefore relaxed into the couch. However, he was disappointed as Meatlug came out of the kitchen with knifes in her hands. _Shit!_ Hookfang tried to keep as calm as possible, though he knew that once Meatlug was like that, there was no escape. The rest of the Crew picked up the situation immediately for they all hid themselves under tables and behind doors. Heather pushed the twins into her studio as she closed the door, locking it. The twins were more than eager to watch but their fun got spoiled since Heather was keeping them away from the scene. Thuggory found himself with his things under his desk, resuming his tinkering as he barricaded the free space in front of his desk with chairs.

Meatlug was holding the knives like weapons between her fingers as a ninja would. For some reason, she seemed bigger than normally as she looked down at him, her eyes gleaming threatening. He swore he saw her breathe fire for a moment. Hookfang folded the newspaper in his hands together and lay it down on the table. He did not let go though. He sat there, bent and his hand still on the newspaper. If there was something that Meatlug respected, it was manners. He knew if he let go of the newspaper, he would be screwed. He went through his options.

First, let go and run. Second, try to sweet-talk her. Third, die. He was too young to die so the third option was scratched. Should he let go and run or sweet-talk her? If he decided for the second option, he would definitely risk his life, which brought him back to point three, _die_. He clearly did not want to die so he went with the first point. He took in the surroundings and calculated which escape route would be the best. Upstairs? No, she would crush through the doors and kill him. The studio? No, Heather locked the door. The bathroom? Definitely a no, he would be trapped in there and Meatlug would just wait in front of the door or… crush it down too. _Think, Hookfang, think!_ The kitchen? There certainly was a backdoor entrance in the kitchen. Was it locked? What if it was? Where was the key? It was on the counter, but the counter was on the opposite side of the kitchen. What was the safest route? Behind the couch? Under the table? Screw it! He would run for his life straight to the counter and afterwards to the kitchen.

He let go of the newspaper and jumped up immediately, running to the counter. He felt a knife hissing behind him as it hit the spot where he just sat a split second ago. He sped up and literally ran for his life. His fire red hair was waving in the air as his red jacket did, lending him the pretense of actually being lit on fire himself. He did not quite reach the counter with his feet but his hand did. He grabbed the key and sprinted to the kitchen. The moment he saw the backdoor entrance, he ran for it. Behind him, he heard how the knives were thrown stuck into the furniture and walls. One knife was exceptionally close to his legs. _Shit!_ She really was serious. She knew how much his legs meant to him, especially for the dancing. He reached the door and was already inserting the key as he suddenly felt air hiss towards his hands. He pulled his hands back by reflex and saw a knife stuck in the lock. _Fuck!_ He was silently praying to his guardian angel above to safe him somehow. Meatlug was drawing closer as she held three knives in her hands. "Hayden Nightmare, let me teach you a lesson, shall I?" she snarled. Hookfang held up his hands in surrender and went with the second point, sweet-talking her, since the first plan failed.

"Now, now. We don't want to hurt somebody, do we-?" he held his breath as she threw a knife between his crotch. He looked down and gulped. Another inch and his pride would have been immensely hurt. Sweat ran down his temple as he looked at her. He was still holding up his poker face. If there was something that everybody knew, it was that Meatlug could use any kitchen cutlery as her weapons since she was in charge of cooking for the Crew. She has already mastered every single flatware in The Cove to the best. He did not think that the scene upstairs would be that bad since the last time she walked in on their friends, mainly Toothless and Stormfly, she would just shrug it off. Or maybe it was because it was _Hiccup_? They all knew him as the innocent kind of guy. It certainly would ruin their whole image of him.

Meatlug stepped dangerously closer and Hookfang gave in. His pride would not save his ass right now, so he decided to apologize, "Alright, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for teasing you. Please, don't kill me?" he asked her with a hesitant smile. His eyebrows betrayed him though, knitting a bit, which gave his expression a really worried feature. As if Hookfang had just imagined everything, Meatlug put the other two knives away and smiled gently at him. "You're indeed a fast learner," she complimented him as she turned around, picking up the knives that she threw at him. Hookfang looked at her with widened eyes. What, everything he had to do was to apologize? As if sensing his disbelief, Meatlug continued, "You know, your pride is good and all, but let's say the whole Crew is kidnapped except you, and all you need to do is lick the boots of the kidnapper to get us back. Your pride would obviously not allow it, especially since you would not believe the kidnapper that he would just give us free."

Hookfang still did not comprehend what she was saying. Did she do all this just to… literally teach him a lesson? What the hell? "So… you're not mad I told you to walk in on Hiccup and Astrid?" he asked confused.

"Ha! I knew that you knew! Jesus, that's one creepy ability you got there," she told him with a wide smile, "And no, I don't mind. The sight was just… yes. Not going to recall it again."

Hookfang sighed and pulled the knife between his legs out as he put it on the table to the rest, "I can't believe you just did that in order to teach me a lesson."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. It was partly to teach you a lesson."

"And the other part?"

"Just wanted to tease you back," she admitted nonchalantly as she tidied up.

"Fuck you," he cursed jokey as he watched her.

"Sex is not a sport for a single person. If you join me, I might consider it," she replied cleverly, winking at him before she left the kitchen. That action left him speechless in the kitchen. He slid his hand through his hair and sighed, smiling to himself. He really was no match for her. She would always surprise him in the most awkward way. But he would not let it slide like that. He will get back at her again. He will use that sentence that left him speechless against her and tease her. It was something that they both had started a few years ago. Hookfang was bored and started to tease her. He never expected for her to get back at him though. Since then they have been taking turns at the teasing. It was something only between those two. It was their game, and he would definitely keep that game alive until he wins.

* * *

 **A/N:**

A little insight to Hookfang's and Meatlug's mind as a change of pace from the previous heated chapters.

Thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 24th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	31. Chapter 31 - You belong to me

**Chapter 31 – You belong to me**

"Hiccup?"

"Yes?"

"We don't have money."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Both Meatlug and Hiccup stared at each other, waiting for the other to react – Hiccup mainly waiting for her to tell him that it was a joke, but it never came. Hiccup sat at the counter opposite to Meatlug. The only thing he wore were his boxers and jeans. It was already late in the night. Thuggory was working at the new light effects for the underground hall while the twins were building card pyramids. They could not move as they wished after they got themselves the new tattoos. It covered the whole back of them. If they stood next to each other, their backs would show a green two-headed dragon.

"Well, then we only have to hold another dance competition. Where's the problem?" Hiccup asked. Meatlug just pursed her lips and clenched her hands. She looked at him with a sad face.

"I… don't like it that you're the main source of our money," she said honestly, "You've been paying for everything as long as we can think about it. We… _I_ don't like that we're still relying on you."

"What are you talking about? You're all working as well, you and Eret in DSCS."

"That's not what I mean. What if you lose? We'll have to pay the 10,000 dollars that we gather as the entrance fee for the competition. What if you get tired? What if you trip? We can't always live with hope and luck only."

"So what? I've never lost a battle before and it will never happen. Remember? I'm the one who came up with the idea in the first place."

"What about Astrid?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She has no home, yet she goes to BDA. How do you plan to pay her tuition fee? Her clothes? Food? We're one more person again. It was already close with our budget when Eret joined. Did you tell her that she could work in DSCS as well? How many people did you already employ? You've never thought things through Hiccup. I've always watched and kept silent as I believed that you'll work something out, but now that Astrid joined us as well, you need to think seriously about it. We don't have enough money, Hiccup."

"Are you telling me to kick her out just like her father did?!"

"No, I'm telling you that your plan until now doesn't work anymore and that we need to think about something that can solve the problem."

"She's right," Toothless jumped into the conversation as he entered. He wore fine clothes, smelling a bit of a woman's perfume – probably Stormfly's. He sat down next to Hiccup and gave him an analyzing look before he turned back to the topic. "I don't care about all this, to be honest, but Meatlug's right. We can't keep going on like this. Do you want to lead this illegal showbiz for your whole life?"

"That's how we've managed all these years! If nobody discovers it, nobody will tear it down!" Hiccup argued.

"If. We're talking about _if_ 's again. Hiccup, I don't want us to drag you down. I have the feeling that you're suppressing your own desires for our sake. I think today is the first day you've ever done what you really wanted to do," Meatlug said unmoved as she implied her barging-in earlier. Hiccup just went red and tried to focus on the topic instead of the blonde girl that lay upstairs naked in his bed. Toothless saw that expression and looked at Meatlug with a questioned look.

"Did I miss out on something?"

Meatlug just looked at Hiccup before she turned her head back to Toothless. She just smiled and answered, "Just guess why he's half naked and you'll have your answer. Not to mention the hickeys on his neck – mind the plural."

Toothless grinned at his best friend, giving him a thumb up. Hiccup just went redder and turned his head away in the hope of hiding his flushed face.

"Can I just-… let me think about it, okay?" he asked of his friends as he stood up. He turned around and was about to rush upstairs again when Toothless whistled. Hiccup shifted his weight in order to look at his friend, who in response just grinned at him mischievously.

"Guess you got a tough one upstairs, huh?" he said and Meatlug giggled.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your back is covered in scratches."

 _It is?_ Hiccup resumed his walk towards his room as he thought about what his back might look like. He was not a friend of showing off his scars but if it were these kind of scars, which showed other people how _well_ he had pleasured Astrid, he might really get the urge to show them off more. He opened the door as silent as he could and tiptoed into his room, not putting on the light, and closing it just as silently. He looked at the bed and still found her laying in it, sleeping soundly. He sneaked to the other side of his bed and lifted the blankets a bit to slip in next to her. The motion probably woke her up since she shifted and turned her head a bit in order to look over her shoulder. She lay on the side with her back turned to him. Astrid smiled gently and tired at him as she turned around completely to snuggle up against his chest.

"Where were you?" she asked in a whisper while she put her arms around his torso. Hiccup put an arm underneath her head so she could use it as a pillow and leaned his chin on her forehead.

"Talking to Meatlug and Toothless," he answered just as quiet while he stroked her back. He would never get enough of touching her. They had went on for another two rounds after their first time and every time it just got better. Now though, they were exhausted and tired and just wanted to fall asleep next to the dearest person in their heart.

"About what?"

"Just some small business, nothing serious," he lied in order to keep the peaceful atmosphere that hung around them. However, even if Astrid was tired, she would always know when he lied and when he did not. Still, she was too tired to bother with it and kept silent. She would ask him tomorrow.

"I have to apologize to Mr. Clay and Aron tomorrow…" she said half-asleep. Hiccup twitched at the mention of that blonde prince and hugged her tighter unconsciously. Astrid smirked and gave him a chaste kiss before she pulled back. "Don't worry, I think Mr. Clay will understand."

"That's not what displeases me," he replied with a frown.

"What is it then?" she asked, now more awake after she knows that something is bothering him. Hiccup just kept up his frown and remained silent. Astrid sat up, totally oblivious to the fact that she is giving him full sight of her naked body. Hiccup gulped and scooted a bit away unconsciously. She crawled onto his lap and straddled his hips. "Tell me?" she whispered enticingly into his ear. She moved her hips in a way that he could never overlook and brought her hands up to his chest, writing her name with her index finger over his dragon tattoo. Hiccup just gazed at her as he tried to put one and one together.

"I, um, it's not… err… this isn't fair! You're naked!" he accused as he tried to keep his eyes away from her.

"That's the point," she confirmed and grinned at him as she bit at her bottom lip lightly. "So? What displeases you? Is it me being naked?"

"No! Gods, no. It's- it's Aron…" he admitted and pulled another frown. Astrid just smiled at his reply and lay down next to him again. She supported her head with a hand as she held it up with her elbow on the pillow. She gave him the _'I'm-listening-keep-going'_ -look and waited patiently. Normally she would beat it out of him but now that she knew that it was about Aron, she sort of wanted to enjoy it. It was probably some kind of jealousy and it pleased her to know that she was not the only one who was possessive.

"I just don't like it that he touches you. I don't like it that any other guy touches you, heck I don't even like it that girls might touch you in a way that only I'm allowed to!" he went on, speaking faster with every word that found its way on his tongue.

"Wow, you're even more possessive than I am," Astrid commented wittily.

"I'm not possessive! And I'm not jealous!"

"I never said that you were jealous."

"W-Whatever! What's mine is mine. Besides, I already licked you, so you're mine," he reasoned childishly and Astrid could not help but giggle.

"Technically, you didn't," she taunted him and watched as he gave her a blank look before his eyes wandered down to her legs that were covered with the blanket. He brought his eyes back to hers and grinned mischievously. He was underneath the blanket in one swoop and searched his way between her legs. Astrid squeaked as she pulled her knees to her chest and tried to flee from him to the back of the bed. She was just joking since she never expected him to actually do it, not that she would not like it. He found her thighs and spread her legs with more force than necessary, already kissing her inner thighs as a flirtation.

"H-Hiccup, hold o-on! I'm still sore! Hiccup? Hiccup, are you listening to me? Hi- Ah!" she yelped as she felt his tongue against her wet fold. Hiccup continued until he made sure that he proved his argument to be right, pushing her into a blissful sensation and an euphoric jerking. Astrid made a note to herself that she should taunt him more into having her if it allowed her to feel his addictive touch every time _. Definitely._

* * *

The next day, they were not allowed to dance with each other again. They had a hard time concentrating as the day before but for some reason, there was a connection between them that could not be severed. While Hiccup danced with Leanne and Astrid with Aron, they both had the feeling that they were still dancing with each other, _for_ each other. Mr. Clay observed them closely and noticed that both were more relaxed than the previous day. He also noticed that both Hiccup and Astrid were not looking at their dance partner, but always glancing at each other. He did not understand how they could solve it in just a few hours but it worked for the time being.

After class was over, Mr. Clay went out to get some stuff while the rest left, except Hiccup and Astrid. Astrid was warming up again, stretching her limbs while Hiccup watched her intently. It was intense, the way he followed her every step with his eyes as if he might punish her if she did something wrong. The only thing that bothered her was the soreness between her legs whenever she had to spread her legs for some moves, though she was looser on her feet now.

Mr. Clay was still not back so Astrid decided to have a dance with her beloved. It has been only three days but she already missed his hands on her waist and the way he guided her with his steps and his moves. She gave him the sign to come over to her, and as he obliged, she bent her knees, doing a kink. Hiccup chuckled and bent his back, taking her hand as he kissed the back of it. They were just dancing a simple waltz, getting lost in each other's eyes.

"What was the business that you had to talk about with Meatlug and Toothless?" she asked, still remembering his obvious lie.

"It's just… how should I put it… we've always managed somehow. We got our money from part-time jobs and the dance battles. It was a close call when we let Eret join our crew. But now that you're joining as well, we have problems financing everything- I'm not telling you to leave! Please, stay. I… I just have to find a solution. I _will_ find a solution. I'll manage. As I already said, small business," he said with a smile that looked more uncertain than convincing. Astrid halted her dance and stared at him with disbelief. Hiccup was already going through every scenario how she would react, and indeed she did as he imagined.

"Hiccup, I can go to Ruffnut-"

"No! Just- just stay, okay? Just stay. I'll manage. I'll show you!"

"It's not about that, Hiccup. I don't want to burden you. I can just go to Ruffnut and find a job. I can still visit you every day and Ruffnut will be happy to accompany me since she and Eret are now a thing… or something… probably?"

"No, it's just… I've been alone for a long time. My dad abandoned me and the Crew has its own problems. I can't just go up to them and tell them how miserable I am. That's not who I am to them, that's not who I _want to be_ to them! But you, next to you I can relax, I can be myself, I can be _free_. You _make_ me feel free. Don't- don't let me alone…" he pleaded and held tight onto her, afraid she might let go of him. Astrid just smiled at him and whispered, "So what if you're alone?"

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hello there, been a while (three days I guess) … I'm sorry for the delay. Thing is, I'm debating over how this story should proceed. I don't want it to be half-assed so I probably am thinking more about it that I need to.

I'm also already planning a Side Story and a Sequel for this story after it ends. I'm rather confident about it but it would still be nice to have your opinion on that. The Side-Story would be about Hookfang and Meatlug while the Sequel would be about the next generation.

And, I think it has been a while since I've asked you but yeah, please leave a review or a feedback if you enjoy reading this story. I also accept criticism, no problem. I try to get better as I want you to really enjoy it. Of course, I'm writing this story because I want to but now I'm also writing this story for you, for those who like this story.

As always, thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 27th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	32. Chapter 32 - A horrible nightmare

**Chapter 32 – A horrible nightmare**

Hiccup was giving her a baffled stare. "What?" he managed, still disbelieving what his ears had just heard. Astrid just kept on smiling and pulled away from him a bit. Hiccup did not even find the strength to hold onto her. She hummed and circuited him with light steps. Hiccup followed her with his eyes as he did not comprehend what she wanted from him. Why were girls so complicated? However, Astrid meant no harm for she began to sing while she still circuited him.

" _You're alone._

 _You're on your own._

 _So what? Have you gone blind, have you forgotten what you have-"_

She closed in with two quick steps and whispered into his ear.

" _-and what is yours?"_

She gave him a peck on his cheek and pulled away again. Hiccup was now grinning like some love-struck fool. He liked where all this was going although he did not know the song that she was singing. She was giving him the sign to join her dance as she already held her arm ready and up in the air where his shoulder and hands were supposed to be. Hiccup obliged as he placed himself in front of her, putting his hand on her waist while the other one took her hand. She back-stepped with her left leg and resumed to sing.

" _Glass half empty, glass half full,_

 _Well either way you won't be going thirsty._

 _Count your blessings, not your flaws."_

She was taking the leading part upon her as for once she was the one guiding him. It was always Hiccup up until now who showed her the way. This time she wanted to show him his way, show him that he had so many possibilities. She knew how it feels to be _someone_ for somebody. She always pretended to be the strong girl who was perfect and had no flaws. She was trying so hard to match her father's expectation, tried so hard to show her class that she was standing above them, tried to prove it to them. However, none of them tried to understand her for who she actually was except Hiccup and Ruffnut.

She was not following any rules or styles. All she wanted to do was to dance for him, even if it meant that she might do mistakes – it did not matter. Hiccup remained silent while he listened to her voice that sounded as beautiful as she looked. There were different kinds of people out there on the world. People who looked gentle but sang like a diva. People who looked badass but sang like a lovesick person. And Astrid? Astrid was perfect. She had the body, had the face, had the personality, had the voice. She was funny and understood his sarcasm. She would rather show people how strict she is to herself and how hardworking she is, yet her serenading voice was so gentle and loving, the total opposite of her image.

" _You've got it all,_

 _You lost your mind in the sound._

 _There's so much more, you can reclaim your crown._

 _You're in control, rid of the monsters in side your head."_

She gave him a gesture with her hand to take over the lead and so he did. He pivoted on his foot and bent himself over her as he supported her back with his thigh that was angled in front of him.

" _Put all your faults to bed."_

He pulled her up again, lifting her as he spun, pivoting on his foot again. Astrid stretched out her arms as she closed her eyes, imagining that she was flying. When he put her down slowly again, she put her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes.

" _You can be king again."_

She was so close, just an inch away from touching his lips. He was about to lean in when she suddenly pushed him away, her hands shoving at his shoulders. She put her arms around her back as she stepped back, putting some distance between them. Still giving him her most gentle smile as she turned and walked alongside the mirror-wall.

" _You don't get what all this is about."_

"I do," Hiccup answered as he narrowed he eyes. He was closing in on her again.

" _You're too wrapped up in your self-doubt."_

"I'm not," he argued although he knew she was just singing the lyrics but still, he had the feeling as if she was talking directly to him.

" _You've got that young light, set it free."_

He pursed his lips and frowned. He was living his talent, was he not? He earned his money by dancing. He _lived_ by dancing. He had already set it free, has he not? What was he supposed to do? Abandon those who relied on him? Abandon the underground hall that he spent years on creating? Abandon his Crew? No, he would definitely not do that. They gave him the friendship that he always dreamed of, so the least he could do was to give them a life that was better than their previous. Yet why, why was he feeling suppressed by all his decisions?

Astrid opened her arms as she tried to gesture to the whole world.

" _You've got it all._

 _You lost your mind in the sound."_

She waited for him to reach her in order to put her arms on his shoulders. He took one of her hands and held it above her head so that she was able to spin around herself once before she settled into his arms again.

" _There's so much more, you can reclaim you crown._

 _You're in control, rid of the monsters inside your head."_

She traced his chest with her hands, wandering over his shoulders and settling around his neck. Lately, she cannot help but touch him whenever she had the chance to do so.

" _Put all your faults to bed."_

She leaned in as she whispered.

" _You can be king."_

She smiled at him, before she closed the inch between them, kissing him gently. Hiccup returned the kiss with as much care that he could muster. It seemed like she did not intend to sing more so he thought it might be appropriate to give her some kind of compliment.

"I didn't know that you could sing," he started off, brushing her cheek with his hand. He pushed her bangs behind her ear and leaned in to whisper quietly, "It made me want to take you right here and right now."

Astrid blushed and slapped the back of his head, still grinning though. He was such a dork. She leaned in again to resume the kissing. She tried to be as gentle as she could, but inside her chest, she could hear the scream for more. It was so ridiculous. She had been controlling her lust for years and suppressed it to the point of nearly forgetting it. And now? She had only given in once to her desires and now she was addicted to him. Suddenly, all she could think about was him, all she wanted to do was to touch was him, and all she wished for was to be next to him. It's not fair. One look, one touch and one word from him could melt her completely. It felt so weird to be at his mercy, somehow. Hopefully he does not think that she was some weak, sweet, fragile girl. She would break his arm if he ever were to tell her that.

Hiccup returned it gladly and was really about to strip her on the spot, however, a knock on the door prevented him from doing so. It made them both jump, causing them to pull away from each other as they looked to the door. Mr. Clay was giving them a polite smile, entering the moment he knew that they got back into reality. Hiccup let go of her and stepped back, putting some distance between him and Astrid, just out of politeness. Mr. Clay was glancing at them both and asked, "Do you want to go home, stay and watch, or participate?"

Hiccup looked at her for a moment before he answered, "I'll participate."

"I don't want slackers in my lessons. If you don't take this seriously, I'll kick you out, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, let's get at it then."

Mr. Clay did not go easy on them. He scolded them for every little mistake that they did. He checked their form and their stance and let them repeat some small choreo that he came up with several times until he gave them the next task. To his surprise, both really did take the lesson serious. Maybe it was because he was alone with the two. Maybe it was because in class, there were other people as well that the two of them could not concentrate. If that was true, he might find a way to get them ready for the upcoming event. Yes, he would definitely use this to his advantage.

* * *

 **\- a few weeks later -**

* * *

It was late in the evening. Stoick sat in his office over a mountain of papers while Spitelout, Gobber and Bertha were on their way to the town-hall. They all got the same message just five minutes ago, telling that their old friend needed help. Stoick rubbed his temple as he filled in the formulas. He reached for the cup of coffee and sipped at it until it was empty and put the cup down again. He was tired. Gobber had handed him some papers concerning the facility underneath their modest city days ago. Hiccup seemed to be in a financial crisis so he tried to help out as much as he could. He was rich, he did not know what to do with the money anyway so why not let his son use it for the goods of the citizen?

After the death of the Queen, trouble seemed to pile up whenever he thought that he had finally solved it. People lost their home, lost their purpose, lost their leader. And out of all people, his son was the one to take them all under his wing. When his wife was still alive, he had told him that the city was also his family, which was why he asked him to tolerate his selfishness. Maybe that was the reason why Hiccup took care of them. It was just a wishful thought but it would still be nice if that were the case.

After he disowned him, his son had never talked to him again, not if it was really… _really, really, really_ necessary. Just once, he asked for help. And that was when his friends were supposed to get in jail. Since then, the only source he had was Gobber. Gobber was his best friend and somewhat a replacement for Hiccup. Hiccup did need a guardian and by appointing Gobber as his _father_ , he could also help him indirectly. But recently, Gobber has not been in contact with Hiccup either. It worried him, made him uncomfortable and uncertain not to know what his son was up to. Of course, it has been years now, and Hiccup probably had already forgotten about him but he could not help but worry.

He reached for the cup again, trying to sip at it, just to find it empty – he sighed. It has been too quiet. Drago was out there doing whatever he was and Andrew went missing. He still had no idea how he was supposed to defend his son and Andrew's daughter, let alone himself. He stood up and went to the coffee machine, filling his cup again. It was then that he got a phone call from an anonymous number. Not to mention that it was on his private mobile phone as well. Who would call him this late? He picked up and held the speaker to his ear.

"Haddock, hello?" he said. However, all he heard was some loud rambling and shouting in the background. Someone who was closer to the speaker was yelling something incomprehensible.

"A… drew… s... p…! We… d… have… ti… e…!"

Stoick tried again and raised his voice. "Hello? Who's there?" The person who called him seemed to have heard him and picked the phone. There was still some furious shouting in the background and suddenly there were gunshots as well.

"STOICK! GET OUT OF THERE!" a too familiar female voice shouted through the line. He has not heard that voice for over ten years now and still, he would never forget it since it was the voice of his wife. Still fierce and commanding. His wife was alive. But wait… out? Why should he?

He turned and looked to the window as he focused onto the streets. There was nothing. There was no problem. "Why-?" he tried to ask her but his voice got stuck in his throat as he laid eyes on something shining far away in the sky. It closed in with an immense speed. When it was close enough, Stoick recognized the rocket shape and his eyes widened. He turned and was about to run to the door when he felt something piercing through him. Blood leaked out of his shoulder as he looked down. He was shot? There was a sniper watching him all along! He ignored his wound and ran. The moment he reached the door, he felt the air behind him exploding.

* * *

Gobber, Spitelout and Bertha were discussing matters and the odd message that they got from their friend. They were about to enter the building when the rocket shot into the building, bursting through the stone with ease, setting the building in flames. People that were close by screamed out of shock and some were already dialing the number for the ambulance. The three friends backed away, keeping themselves safe from the collapsing building.

However, Gobber was the first to realize what had really happened. He cursed and ran into the building. Screw the ambulance! It would be too late the moment they arrived. He would not let his best friend die in the rubble in there. Definitely not. Spitelout followed him soon after as did Bertha. It was stupid to go in a burning building. It was stupid and naïve yet they had experienced worse. Running through flames and getting some burns here and there were nothing compared to losing someone close to them. All three vanished in the building.

After a few minutes, the first sirens could be heard and the fire department had also arrived. It was a long night of rescuing and extinguishing the fire. People who were at the scene immediately called their family or took a photo of the scene, uploading it on the internet. It was a horrible night. It was a long night. It was a nightmare.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey there. Well, Valka makes her first appearance. Somebody tried to assassinate the mayor, Stoick. People are screaming. And Hiccup and Astrid don't know a thing about the cause of their broken family.

 **Song: King by Lauren Aquilina**

Your opinion?

Again, thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 28th October 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	33. Ch33 - Peace goes hand in hand with war

**Chapter 33 – Peace goes hand in hand with war**

" _Yesterday night, Berk was taken aback by yet another terroristic attack. The culprit is unknown. A rocket was launched and aimed at the town hall, causing the building to erupt. The police was not able to give us their opinion on this matter for the head officer, Steven Jorgenson, is currently lying in the hospital with grave injuries. Aside from him, the defense secretary Bertha Barbara and the mayor of Berk Harold Haddock have yet to awake. The city has lost three of their most important heads and is now in a critical situation. The question is: Who will take their place and protect this city?-"_

Heather turned off the TV with a remote and crossed her arms. She was watching with the Crew the news. Normally, Hiccup would have been present too for he was usually the first one to wake up. But since Astrid has moved in, he spent more time I his room with her than with the Crew. It was that fact that saved him from watching these news.

They did not mind that he spent more time with the blonde since they all agreed that he should enjoy his life more. It has been weeks since Astrid moved in everything seemed so peaceful. She made progress in dealing with her kick-out, got herself the Berk Hooligan Crew tattoo on her right shoulder blade and even helped at the dance battles. And now, now this _shit_ happened.

Heather stood at the counter while the others sat on chairs and on the couch. She gave a look around the present ones and sighed. "I think we agree that nobody will mention this in front of Hiccup?" she asked for confirmation. Everybody nodded as they all wore a gloomy face.

"Keep it a secret no matter what. Don't let him know about it." Heather commanded.

"Don't let me know about what?" a hoarse voice asked from behind them.

They turned and froze, not expecting him to overhear their conversation. Toothless however remained unfazed. He might be Hiccup's best friend, not to mention the most loyal one too, but this time he decided to side with the Crew. He would not let his friend worry over something that he wanted to forget for years.

"Don't let you know about the secret cameras that we installed in your room," Toothless joked and gave him a wide grin.

"Sure thing. Because that's something you would definitely do," Hiccup replied sarcastically. Still, the serious faces that his friends wore made him uncertain. "You wouldn't, would you?"

"Of course not," Stormfly replied with a mischievous grin, supporting the lie that her boyfriend came up with to save their asses. Hiccup sat down at the table and stretched his body. "Sure… is there anything I might've missed?" he asked as he opened the newspaper that lay on the table. The twins reacted quickly and dumped milk over the paper. Hiccup jumped up to avoid getting it spilled on his clothes.

"Woah! Why did you do that?!" he asked in shock. The twins just shrugged and showed him their _'I-felt-like-it'_ -face. Hiccup would never understand those two, or rather, what went through their heads. Stormfly hurried and took the newspaper away, cleaning up the table. She threw it away and gave herself a thumb up for that action. They all were too nervous… and obvious. Yet Hiccup, the most intelligent one out of them all – next to Thuggory – could be dumb sometimes. And this time, it was one of those moments. They all sighed in relief when Hiccup decided to go to the bathroom. Toothless turned to his friends and gave them a look, as if to say that they should keep it together. Then he too went upstairs and into his room.

The Crew really had to come up with something ahead if they wanted to seriously keep it a secret from Hiccup. They all decided that they would not tell Astrid about it too. They did not doubt that she will keep it a secret but they did not know if she might be a bad liar. So, in order to keep it safe, nobody would tell Hiccup and Astrid a word about it.

* * *

Andrew sat on a cool stone, cleaning his rifle in a tense silence. He felt something cold touching his cheek and turned around. Behind him stood a woman in the middle of her forties, though she still looked like her late twenties. The woman had auburn hair, similar to Hiccup's. She held a beer can in front of him and smiled. "I was worried that you might've died out there," she joked and sat down after he accepted the can.

"I won't die. Not until I have killed that madman."

"Are you sure that revenge will ease your wrath?"

"I will avenge my wife," he stated ultimately and drank the beer.

"It won't bring her back to life."

"Why are you even trying to talk me out of it?! Why don't you go and kill him instead?! He nearly killed Stoick! Not to mention Bertha and Spitelout!"

"You think I don't want to get rid of him?! I'm planning every step carefully so that I can assure a safe kill! We're talking about _the_ Drago! You can't just walk in and shoot him down! I would have done so long ago if that were the case, but it isn't!"

"And wait for what?! Wait until Stoick and the rest of our friends get murdered for good?!"

"Wait for a chance to kill _Drago_ for good!"

Andrew snorted at that answer and stood up. He took his rifle and packed up his things, walking towards the giant warship.

"Where are you going?" Valka asked and followed him.

"I'm going to put an end to this fucking tragedy! I can't just sit around and wait for nothing!"

"And do what? Go risk your one and only daughter's life again?!"

"She doesn't even remember a thing!" he shouted furiously as he turned back to face her. He was taking quick steps towards her and continued, "She doesn't remember how her own mother died! She doesn't remember that _she_ was the cause of her death! She. Doesn't. Fucking! REMEMBER!" He was roaring the last part of his sentence and was heaving his chest hard.

"So? You think she would be better off dead?"

"How dare you-!"

"Because that's what you would confirm, if you go out there now. You would risk her life. You would get her killed. Drago knows your face, and he know the face of every family members of yours. And he knows that your daughter's alive. The only reason he let you two alive is because you've stopped meddling with his affairs. If he finds out that you're on his heels again, he will not shy away to kill her."

"That's my business."

"Sure. Just continue to torment her and abuse her- and before you ask, Bertha told me. She's been keeping an eye on everyone. On you, on Astrid, on Stoick… on Henry."

Andrew's face contorted into a confused frown. "What?! Then why did she not tell us all that you were still alive?!"

"Earth on Andrew? Secret warship in the middle of the ocean, which is headed into the enemy base. Bertha, the defense secretary. You weren't even supposed to be on this ship. Everyone who's on this ship is believed to be dead. The Bewilderbeast saved us all and took us in. Everybody on this ship would be dead if not for him. The only one who knows about this besides us is Bertha and no one else."

"Who is the Bew- whatever you just said?"

"That is a story for another time. So? Are you still going?"

There was silence, until Andrew dropped his bag next to the stone again and sat down. "You're one freaky woman," he spat.

"And you are one lousy father," Valka countered with a smirk.

"Says the woman who let her family believe that she's dead."

"For their own safety."

"Sure."

The tension remained between the two as they both returned to their previous task. It would be a long journey for those two, they agreed silently.

* * *

Mr. Clay was observing the class again. He continued to scold them, help them and guide them. At the end of the lesson, he told them to stay for another few minutes since he wanted to announce something.

"Alright. I think some of you have already read the flyer of the dance competition coming next month on the blackboard in the corridor. That means that those who decide to participate on that competition can take their time off BDA and concentrate on creating choreography for the competition. The rules and procedures are all on the flyer. It works similar to the audition that you had to pass. There will be judges, there will be a topic and there will be rivals. You have to participate alone. Pairs are _not_ allowed. Moreover, at the end of the competition, there will be a party. The audience will also vote who will be the 'Dance King' and the 'Dance Queen'. Compare it to something like Prom King and Queen. The only difference is that the dance competition will be held in the middle of the semester while prom is held at the end of a school year. And yes, alcohol is allowed but don't overdo it," he finished and some were already making plans of an after party.

Hiccup stayed oblivious to the competition. He loved dancing for the feeling of being free, not for the feeling of accomplishment. Of course, if you finally get a new trick done that you have practiced for some time, then you would feel as if you had accomplished something great. However, if it was only about the dancing, using the tricks and techniques that he was already accustomed to, then dancing for accomplishment was nothing but something to pass time. That went for Hiccup at least. Many people became famous through dancing. And that too was somehow an accomplishment. But Hiccup was not dancing to become famous or to prove somebody something. No. He were dancing for him and Astrid. For their bond. For the freedom that he sought.

Well, Astrid had another opinion on that. She was extremely competitive and if she was given the chance to prove that she was the best, she would immediately take it. She loved competitions so much that all her classmates had taken distance from her in her childhood. _She took everything too serious_ , some kids said. _It's no fun_ , other kids said. In the end, the result was always the same. She was having a competition with herself, pushing her limits every day since nobody wanted to be her opponent willingly. Or rather, nobody could match her. The only person who she could not beat was Hiccup. And surprisingly, he was the only one she allowed to be better than her. Although she would not mind if he were to challenge her to a dance battle.

"Oh! And don't forget, you only have a few days to decide if you're going to participate or not. You have to fill in the application until next Monday," Mr. Clay added as he dismissed the class. Astrid was already on her feet, waiting nervously for Hiccup to get his ass up so she could get one of these applications. Mr. Clay had told her that from this week onwards he would cancel the extra lessons so she could concentrate on the competition if she were to choose to participate.

"Why so impatient, M'lady?" he asked as he too swung his bag over his shoulder, following her out of the room.

"I want to get one of these applications. I've waited weeks for this shit to finally get printed," she answered quickly, her words nearly stumbling over her tongue as she speed walked to the stand with the applications on it.

"W-Wait- What? You're going to participate?" he asked with widened eyes.

"Well, yes. It's a competition. Hell, as if I wouldn't," she said nonchalantly as she picked up one piece of paper out of the stack, pushing it into her bag. They were both going towards the bus station as they continued their talk.

"Oh. Okay. I didn't know that," he said shortly. He had no problem with her actually participating. It was the thought that she might be voted as the Dance Queen while another guy would become Dance King. And if stereo types were not enough, queens and kings belonged together. And hell, he sure as fuck did not want to see her with another guy on the stage.

"Is it troubling you? You don't sound happy for me, you know?" she stated, looking at him worried. She only wanted to have real rivals, people to compete with. It was fun competing with people. She had also forgotten the fact about the King and Queen thingy.

"Oh, no. No, not at all. It's cool. Really cool. Yeah, err, yeah…" he said without thinking his words through first. He sounded dumb and on edge, and he knew it. Astrid began to talk enthusiastically about her plans for the competition. She was smiling while she talked, her eyes having a mischievous glint that gave her a somehow charming aura.

Hiccup however did not pay attention to her words. He was lost in his thoughts, lost in the thought of her next to someone else. He was not some possessive asshole, he would prove that. He could trust her. There was no way she would leave him just because there was suddenly someone else standing next to her on stage. She told him many times that she had waited only for him. She even told him that she was dancing only for him. And he loved it every single time she said it. It would never get old. Still… the thought of her standing next to some random guy bugged him. On the way to The Cove, he remained mostly silent, listening halfheartedly to Astrid talking mostly to herself until he slowly drifted into a state of autopilot, nodding and humming to give her some sort of reassurance that he was still somewhat listening.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I'm so sorry for the delay. To be honest, I have experienced something similar as Astrid, something traumatic that involved death and me as the cause. The only difference is that I can still remember it as clear as day. Lately I've been having nightmares about that one person who's involved and yes… it mentally dragged me down. I couldn't concentrate on writing the story even if I wanted to, since every five seconds my mind would drift off to that one particular day. Also, I've been working non-stop these past days because my colleagues got sick and I had to jump in, which was the reason why I had even less time than usual for writing. My nightmares aren't getting better but I still somehow managed to find the motivation to write this chapter. Again, I'm really sorry for the delay.

Thank you for reading.

Date of Update: 4th November 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	34. Chapter 34 - A caring apology

**Chapter 34 – A caring apology**

Astrid threw her bag next to the couch and let herself fall on it, making the furniture under her squeak for a moment. She pulled the paper out of her bag and leaned back, reading the application form. Hiccup shut the door behind them as he too sat down on the couch. His head fell back as he watched her from the side. His eyes wandered over her feature, taking in every curve that she had. His eyes fell on her lips and his mind got lost in a never-ending, dark abyss.

After a while, Astrid looked up and noticed him staring at her, although he did not seem to look at her but beyond. Her hand holding the paper fell on her lap as she waited for him to notice that she was waiting for an answer. When he did not, she decided to speak up first and rip him out of his thoughts. "Alright. What is troubling you?" she asked, raising her voice a bit in order for him to hear her. His eyes snapped open as they locked with hers. There was silence for a moment before he shifted.

"What are you talking about? Nothing's troubling me," he lied.

"Don't give me that crap, Hiccup. What's up?"

"Really, it's nothing."

"Okay. So you intend to keep on lying to me. Well, help yourself. You know where you can find me if you decide to tell me the truth," she snapped at him and stood up.

Well, it really was nothing. He had no problem with her participating. He had no problem with her at all. It was just the thought of her with somebody else that made him uncertain. He did not doubt that she would stay with him, did he? Well… he was not the most handsome guy now, was he? And he was rather skinny too. At least that is what he thought about himself. He never noticed the look some girls gave him, Leanne included, although he had all reason to. Still, he would either be too self-conscious or tell himself that it could never be the case. He considered himself especially lucky the moment Astrid had first kiss him on his lips. It was as if reality had surpassed his dreams. And the day they had their first time, he felt like dying right there on the spot. He never thought that he would ever get to lose his virginity, not to mention to the girl who he loved more than anyone else. And now, now that he knew she was his', he feared the day when she might tell him that she got bored of him and decided to leave him.

He watched as Astrid turned on the music and danced with Stormfly. The way her hips swung and the way her braided hair flew made him forget how to breathe. He truly loved that girl. He just could not imagine a life without her. Heck, he did not even know how he survived ten whole years without her. Maybe it was because he always thought that his feelings towards her were one-sided.

While on the outside, it looked like Astrid was dancing and practicing with Stormfly, on the inside, Astrid was scowling. What was up with him? He was clearly troubled by something yet he did not tell her. Did he not trust her? Fuck, she even gave him her virginity, how is that not proof enough that he could trust her? It irritated her not to know what was on his mind. Sometimes, she could read him like an open book and then there were times when he would be a complete mystery. That was one of these moments and what Astrid hated the most was to be _unknowing_. It was not the first time that he did not tell her. When they were younger, he would always hide his worries and troubles from her, as if he did not want to drag her into something unnecessarily. Even if she asked him a hundred times, he still would not answer or stutter or change the topic. Eventually, she learned that she had to let him be and afterwards he would come to her himself. She hated it to wait, but with him she had no other choice. That was how he was.

* * *

 _They were both lying on the cool grass, looking up to the sky. They decided that they were too lazy to dance and took the day 'off'. Hiccup was reaching up to the sky as he imagined that he would take a cloud into his hand. Astrid watched him from the side with curious eyes. Somehow, he was different from the boys in her class. They were noisy, dumb and creepy. The boy next to her however was different. He was calm, caring and dumb. But dumb in a good way. He was goofy. But that too in a good way. She liked the way he pursued his freedom with every move that he practiced. Sometimes she thought that she too might reach freedom if she reached out to him. Again, Astrid subconsciously raised her hand and was about to touch his arm but froze when he spoke up, "I wish time would stop."_

 _When he turned his head to her, she had already retracted her hand, holding it steady against her chest. She was just seven and did not know much about human gestures and mimics. But that very moment she felt something tingling in her stomach as she looked into his eyes. They were far away yet so close. He was looking at her but also beyond. She did not know why but she felt special. All the boys would tell her, or rather all the girls, that they were weak and disgusting. They acted as if they were some kind of big boss. This boy though looked at her as an equal. And she liked that._

" _You're different," she blurted out before she could think about what she said. Hiccup narrowed his eyebrows at that comment and sat up. "I'm different?"_

" _Yes. Different from the boys… different from the rest," she said, still looking into his eyes. Hiccup held his breath and asked, "What kind of different?"_

" _You're dumb." In a good way. "And you're goofy." Also in a good way. "You're different." Totally in a good way. However, Hiccup could not read minds and took it as an offense. He thought that maybe this girl was different from the others. That maybe she saw him for who he could be. But this comment disappointed him and it hit him hard. She too only saw the surface of him like everybody else._

 _Astrid noticed his feature and her gaze turned worried. "Are you okay?" she asked him concerned but all he did was to purse his lips and turn his head away. Then he gave a short "Yes," before he got back onto his feet._

" _Are you sure?"_

" _Yes," he hissed as he stood there for a while before he turned back to her. "I'm going home."_

" _Wait, what? Why?" she asked shocked as she too got onto her feet._

" _It's nothing."_

" _It's not nothing if you want to go home! Did I say something wrong?" she asked desperately, not wanting him to leave yet. They have not even spend an hour together and he already wanted to go home. Of course, it had to be something she said. But everything she said was meant in a good way, so why was he mad?_

 _Hiccup just grumbled and still narrowed his eyebrows. "If I say that it's nothing then it's nothing!" he said finally before he left. Astrid was left behind, standing alone and lost in the clearing as she tried to understand what had just happened. Alright, she had to change her impression on him. He was kind, caring, dumb, goofy… and fucking unreasonable. What was going on with him? She was complimenting him, was she not? She was confused and worried, but what overwhelmed those feelings was her anger. Like, what the heck? That was not how she imagined that afternoon to turn out. She just wanted to hang out with him, learn from him and forget about her worries. But in the end, he just added to her worries. As if she had not enough as it is. Was he just like the other boys after all?_

* * *

 _Hiccup fell on his bed and growled. This was not how the afternoon was supposed to be. He buried his face into the pillow and lay there for several minutes until he thought about what she said. He was dumb. And goofy. It was nearly the same as stupid and nerdy, he thought. And that was how he was mostly insulted at school. He did not like it… Of course, she did not say that he was stupid and nerdy… but still, dumb and goofy were not good either. And she said it as if it was nothing! Then he remembered that he left her behind and suddenly a feeling of guilt filled his chest. Whatever happens, he should never leave a girl behind and treat her how he would like to be treated. That was rule number one that his father had taught him a long time ago. He had nothing much to do with his father anymore but his teachings still stuck with him. Well… he should probably apologize tomorrow for his unmanly behavior._

* * *

 _Astrid was sitting on the stone when he arrived at the cove. He held daisies and a package of cookies in his hands behind his back as he approached her. She was facing him with her back as she swung her legs in boredom. He cleared his throat to get her attention and she turned around, looking at him relieved as well as a bit angry. He pulled out the cookies and daisies and held them in front of her. She looked at him as if he had grown a second head and gave him a questioned look. "I'm sorry… for yesterday… I shouldn't have left you behind…" he mumbled guilty and then it struck her that the daisies and cookies were for her. She took it from him and put it on her lap. "Why were you mad?" she asked with a sad voice. Hiccup looked up to her and pursed his lips. "You called me dumb…" he whispered with a scowl on his face._

 _Astrid just looked at him confused and then it hit her. Dumb and goofy were not exactly kind words, were they? How the heck would she know, she was seven. "I mean, you're a funny dumb. I like you being dumb sometimes. It's funny and I like it," she explained slowly for him to comprehend. He was still a boy, right? Boys are slow, were they not? Hiccup, realizing that she meant it as a compliment, blushed and continued, "And you called me goofy…"_

" _I mean you're a sweet goofy. Or like my girl friends in school say, cheesy. Although I don't know if that's the same…" she wondered aloud as she looked at him. "I'm sorry too… I didn't want to insult you… I thought you knew…"_

" _At least now I know it's not an insult," he said with a crooked smile. Her face lit up at the smile and then she hit his arm. "That was for worrying me!" And then she kissed him on the cheek. "And that's for being so sweet."_

* * *

Astrid came out of the shower. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not notice how sweaty she became through the dancing with Stormfly. The two girls had decided to take a shower and rest for the day. She was still irritated at Hiccup and could not decide if she should go into Hiccups room or Eret's former room, which is now hers. Although she never used it since all her belongings are in Hiccups room. Her feet brought her instinctively to Hiccup's room and she sighed. It was so stupid. So stupid to be mad at him for not telling her. She sat down on his king-sized bed while she dried her hair with a towel. She sat with the back to the door. When it opened, she did not make a sign to turn around. She knew that pace and she knew that Hiccup was watching her back.

She then heard him clear his throat and sighed. She turned around and in front of her stood a nervous Hiccup with his hands on his back. She raised one of her eyebrows at him and waited for him to talk. He pulled his hands from behind his back and held roses and a box of chocolates in front of her. Astrid had to use all her willpower in order not to giggle. He was somehow still the eight-year-old boy from ten years ago and she still gave him that blank look, although it was just to tease him. He took a slow and careful step towards her and began, "I'm sorry… for acting like that… I know that you're just worried about me…" His eyes went to his feet as he still held the roses and chocolates. Astrid smiled at him and took the roses as well as the box of chocolates.

"Will you tell me what bothered you the whole time?" she asked calmly as she put her gifts on her lap. He sat down next to her and sighed.

"I- I just don't like the idea that there might be somebody standing next to you as a 'king'" he admitted sheepishly and fumbled with his fingers. Astrid looked at him for a while before she really began to laugh. Hiccup blushed in embarrassment while Astrid tried to contain her laughter. "Wh- haha, how come you think that I'm going to be the Dance Queen?" she asked and thereupon he darted his head towards her.

"Of course you're going to be the Dance Queen! Look at you! You're beautiful, you're smart and you dance like a goddess!" he said, complimenting her without thinking which earned him a blushing Astrid.

"Hiccup, I might want to win the competition, but I could care less about the title. And… if it bothers you so much, then you should participate and make sure that you're standing next to me as the king," she suggested with a hidden intent of competing with him. That way she really might have fun in the competition. Everybody else was so boring. Hiccup narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"No, no, no. My dancing is not for competition."

"Heck, we had a dance battle last time, Hiccup."

"Doesn't count. That's a way to get money for our living," he countered and gave her a serious look.

Astrid just hummed in disappointment that he declined her offer.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," she said honestly as she turned to him. Hiccup just gave her that crooked grin and gods, she needed to hit him, so she did. She punched his arm and listened as the sound of his yelp rang like music in her ears. "That's for worrying me!" And then she drew him close, kissing him passionately. He was still shocked from the light pain that coursed through his arm but then he snapped out of it and returned her kiss just as feverishly. After a while, she pulled back and said, "And that's for being so sickly sweet."

* * *

 **A/N:**

And done. I'll be having this weekend off duties so I have three days to write more. Anyways, thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 6th November 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	35. Chapter 35 - The Air Chair

**Chapter 35 – The Air Chair**

Hiccup put his hands on her waist as he held her steady. Astrid tried to balance herself on one arm. It was rather hard since she always danced while she relied on her feet. However, she got curious after watching Hiccup's signing move over and over again. And to be honest, she wanted to try it out just because it looked awesome. Still, it was hard. How the heck could he hold himself above the surface with only one arm?

"You're doing it wrong," he reminded her and let her down slowly so that she would not get hurt. "You're holding your arm entirely wrong. Here, watch me. You have to put your strong arm to your side, which would be your right arm, like this-" he explained as he held his upper arm close to his side, almost glued even, and held his forearm vertical to his upper arm. "Just try to balance as much weight as possible on your side, on your arm. And with practice you should be able to do it," he said as he showed it to her again. Astrid sat on the floor next to him, watching him. He made it seem so easy. She was trying to do that the whole time now and still did not get it right.

"Okay, let me try," she said determined, not ready to give up yet. She imitated him as she held her right arm correctly and leaned onto the floor. She felt her elbow pressuring on her side and it hurt a little. Her face contorted into something painful as she tried to do the move. Heck, why did it hurt so much? Hiccup noticed her mistake and held her legs up.

"Lean a bit backwards, your weight is on your ribs. If you're not careful, you might get hurt," he said worried as he still held her legs up so she could focus more on the weight that was on her arm. She did as he told and leaned backwards slowly. Slowly, because she had the feeling that she might fall over if she leaned back too much. But surprisingly the pain subsided and it got easier to hold her weight. She was already grinning widely and Hiccup decided to let her take the rest herself.

"I'll let go of your legs. Try to hold them in the air," he instructed and carefully pulled his hands away. Astrid held herself in the air for a split second before she fell over again. She groaned at the failure and sat up again, stroking her wrist. "Well, you'll get used to it. It puts a lot of pressure on your wrist so be careful not to hurt it, alright?" he said concerned.

"I can watch over myself just fine," she snorted, though the edges of her lips twitched a bit upwards when she said that. Hiccup smirked and stood up. "Let's take a break, shall we? And your hair's a mess," he said as he pulled her up. She tucked at the hair-band and went towards the mirror nearby. Hiccup just watched her golden hair fall down her back. It was so much longer when they were open and falling like a curtain instead of being braided. Astrid pursed her lips and put her hair-band into her mouth, shaking her hair a bit so it did not feel so deformed. She was about to braid it again when she felt his hand grabbing her wrist. She was about to turn around but froze instead when she felt something warm on her neck.

Hiccup did not intend to seduce her in any way. He was just standing there seconds ago but when he saw her hair down, he felt like something was pulling him towards her. And before he realized it, he had stopped her from braiding her hair again and was kissing her neck. He put his free arm around her waist and pulled her back close to his chest. They were standing in front of the mirror and Astrid could see how Hiccup closed his eyes in order to just feel her. She watched intently as he worked his lips magically over her skin. She felt his arms tighten around her waist but when she looked into the mirror, it just looked like he was embracing her gently. It was exciting to discover how sensing and seeing was so different. She closed her eyes, hoping that she would feel more, sense more than just seeing – and she did. Suddenly, all her focus went to that one particular spot on her neck and her mind got dizzy. She leaned into him as she enjoyed the sweet sensation of his warm lips pouring thunder strikes through her veins and body. Her limbs got weak as the thunder passed and reached every nerve in her body, making her tremble slightly from the heat. She was paralyzed, she could not move. If she did, she had the feeling as if it would destroy the magic that was currently working on her skin.

Hiccup opened his eyes a bit and glanced at the mirror. He felt his blood boiling and coursing through his body as he watched her face changing into a pleasured expression. Her mouth was slightly agape and the inner eyebrow-edges curled upwards, as if she were about to cry. He loved the sight and got so lost in his thoughts that he did not realize he had stopped kissing her. He was simply watching and beholding. Astrid frowned at the lack of his warm lips on her skin and opened her eyes to find out what had caused him to stop. Her eyes met his on the mirror and she blushed. He was straight out staring at her, not giving a damn about everything else. His eyes were piercing and yet… so gentle.

Astrid bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to analyze his gaze. He was not only staring at her but also mentally stripping her. As if he was taking down every defense mechanism that she had built over the years. It was breathtaking and frightening at the same time. She felt so vulnerable, as if someone was looking at her as some kind of prey, observing it to every little detail. He was the only one who could make her feel that way and she would not allow it for anyone else to dare do the same. After a few minutes though, she got irritated. She wanted him to continue to touch her. He could still watch her later, but now she needed his touch. He cannot just kiss her like that and then stop to just watch. Where was the fun? So she turned around, which surprised him, and put her arms around his neck. He was taller than her, so she needed to pull him down a bit to meet his lips. At the beginning, Hiccup was hesitating since he did not know what she was up to, but when he saw her leaning in with her mouth slightly agape, he felt his brain processing and forcing a reaction out of him, that he was now already used to. He let her pull him down and he held his breath the moment her lips touched his, ever so briefly.

They were about to get to the passionate part as they suddenly heard someone clearing his or her throat. Astrid reacted first and pulled away quicker than she intended it to be, looking around until she found Ruffnut standing at the doorframe. The blonde girl smirked at her knowingly and waited for the boy to look at her too.

"I didn't know that you were _that_ into him," she commented with a mischievous grin, watching as Astrid's cheek became a bit pink. Yes, that was the reaction she wanted to see. She had never seen her best friend interested in any boy, not even in those who were exceptionally hot. And yet, here she was, giving a guy who Ruffnut hadn't known until a couple of weeks ago her utmost attention. Well, if she remembered correctly, Astrid had always been somehow more interested in the boy with the mask on stage than the way he danced. Both were worth noticing though. However, for Ruffnut who only knew Astrid as the perfect-score Astrid, the unbeatable Astrid and the strong Astrid, it gave her the feeling that both girls would stand on equal ground if it were about love. For some time she even thought that Astrid might be so perfect that there was not a boy on earth who could stand next to her. Now she knew why. Now she knew that she had been waiting for only Hiccup all along.

"Says the girl who tackles her boyfriend every single time she sees him," Astrid snorted in a funny way, which earned her a giggle from the boy standing next to her.

"What boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend," Ruffnut stated with raised eyebrows and watched as the couple's face slowly turned confused.

"Wait, wait, wait. Stop. Halt. You're saying that you and Eret," Astrid started.

"-are not going out?" Hiccup finished her question.

"Yes. That's what I'm saying," the blonde confirmed.

"Then…" Hiccup starts this time.

"What are you two? Clearly you're a thing, from the way you always make out," Astrid asked the question that Hiccup was about to speak out.

"Oh. Eret and I, we're just having a friendship with some… benefits," she said casually.

"O… kay?" Hiccup said, dragging out the last part of the word longer than actually needed.

"So? Why are you here and not with Eret?" Astrid asked suspiciously.

"What? Am I disturbing you in any way?" Ruffnut asked her friend with a knowing grin.

Astrid and Hiccup were still standing close to each other, his arm firm around her waist. She watched the young man from head to toe and he seemed to notice that since he narrowed his eyes when she locked them with his. Ruffnut approved. It is not like she had no influence on who Astrid would choose anyway. It was just that she had the feeling that if there was one person who would be able and allowed to stand next to Astrid, it would be that young man right next to her. He took her under his wing immediately and without question when she was in her deepest pit. From what Astrid had told her, he did not even take advantage of her although she was ready to do it anyway. Ruffnut did not know that he was Stoick's son though.

"Whatever. You're right. I would be with Eret by now if not for you. So, here goes. Tuffnut wants to throw his birthday party this upcoming weekend, speak, in three days. And he invited you and the Crew as well as Snotlout, Fishlegs and some other freaks. You in?" Ruffnut asked with hopeful eyes.

"Why are you talking about this as if you weren't involved? You two are fucking twins. It's also your birthday," Astrid pointed out with a frown. The girl in question just shrugged nonchalantly and looked at the two with curious eyes.

"Are you coming or what?"

"Well, yeah. Sure. Of course I'll go," Astrid said a bit unsure since she did not want to go without Hiccup, even if it was just another party with her best friend and most likely with her other childhood friends, she still wanted her boyfriend to be with her. The thought of Hiccup accompanying her soothed her mind. She felt good if he was there if she ever needed him. And the fact that Snotlout will be there did not make it any better too. Who knew if Snotlout might pull off something stupid again.

Hiccup's lips curled downwards. He did not want to go somewhere near Snotlout. He may be going out with Astrid but he knew that Snotlout would be too ignorant of that fact instead. Still, Ruffnut had helped the Crew out when they lacked female dancers. He should return the favor. And he knew that the Crew would accompany him if he went. Wherever he went, they would follow him. He felt a bit bad that he restricted their freedom unwillingly. At least that is what he thought. It was like a never-ending game. Hiccup thought that he was the reason the Crew could not move freely while the Crew thought that they were the reason why Hiccup could not move freely.

After a while, Hiccup smiled at the somewhat crazy but nice girl and nodded, "Sure. We'll go too." Ruffnut grinned at the response and explained her plans further.

"Alright, I'll text you all regarding that matter. When and where and so on and so forth. You know all the procedures," the girl rambled and took out her phone, "By the way. Hiccup, I still don't have your number. Give it to me."

"Sure," Hiccup answered as he went to the bench where his phone lay. He unlocked it and searched through his contact list. He never remembered his own number anyway. Why bother if it was already saved into his phone? Hiccup was about to start dictating it when Astrid cut in, "Wait, I need your number too."

Ruffnut looked at her baffled, as if she had just grown a second head. "You still don't have his number?!" she exclaimed shocked, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Well sorry, but I never had a reason to. I knew where I would find him and he knew where he could find me. Never had the need until now," she said, a bit proud of her statement. Those who did not carry a phone with them 24/7 were already entitled as 'unnormal'. It was a good thing that Astrid and Hiccup still belonged to the 1990s kids who were still running around in mud instead of playing games on a pad.

Hiccup waited until Astrid had her phone ready as well and told them his number. The girls sent him a message so that he too would have their numbers and after that the locked it again. Ruffnut turned around and said, "Well, I'll text you. We'll see each other this weekend… or in Eret's bed." The girl wriggled her eyebrows as Astrid wrinkled her nose at the invitation.

"No thanks Ruff. I don't like to share," she said matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Whatever you say. The offer's still open," Ruffnut said as she went upstairs – probably to Eret.

Hiccup turned his head to her and smirked, "You don't like to share?" Astrid blushed and tried to hide her expression with an angry frown. "Don't let it get to your head," she threatened him as she turned back to the move that he was currently teaching her. Hiccup just sighed and smiled at her. She was stubborn, and he would not want it any other way. He continued to support her a bit until she got the hang of it. It has been a while since he had showed her a new move. He forgot how reliable he felt whenever she asked him for help. It felt good to be needed. It felt good to be wanted. He silently thanked the heavens above for granting him this beautiful goddess.

* * *

 **A/N:**

And another chapter done. I would've updated way sooner but my mom turned off the internet for various reasons. Anyway, here it is. Another thing, TheBurningPillar, I really appreciate every review that you leave and hope that you'll continue to support my story, although my updates have taken longer and longer as time passed. The same goes for every and any of you who takes his or her time to leave a review. I appreciate everything.

And I just wanted to remind you (and mostly myself) that this is first and foremost a romance story about dancing. However, it should not deny the possibility of the thing with Drago to turn this into a half romance, half adventure story. I'm still thinking about the right genre, to be honest. If you have any ideas or opinions concerning this matter, I have no problem with it if u want to share it.

Again I thank you for reading this story and hope you enjoyed it. I would also be really grateful to those who would take their time and leave a review.

Date of Update: 9th November 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	36. Chapter 36 - Presents

**Chapter 36 – Presents**

Astrid and Hiccup were waiting for the cashier to just put the things into the plastic bag. It was bad enough to be in this kind of shop but of course, Eret was not content with only that. The woman behind the counter looked at the two with raised eyebrows when she had to scan the things that they had to buy. Who would not judge if in front of her lay several kinds of sex toys and seductive underwear, like, _really_ seductive underwear. Moreover, it did not make matters better when next to all that lay five condom boxes with a large L written on it. The woman looked up to Hiccup and gave him a small smirk. It did not go unnoticed though for Astrid glared at her right after. Hiccup just blushed and shifted his weight now and then on the opposite foot, avoiding her eyes as good as he could. He leaned a bit to Astrid and whispered nervously, "How did we end up here again?"

Astrid sighed and shook her head, "Honestly, I don't know why it has to be… _this_."

The cashier held the plastic bag in front of the young couple and gave them a polite and unjudging smile, as unjudging as she could manage at least. Astrid and Hiccup hurried out of the erotic shop and glared at the large man who waited for his presents. "Mind telling us again why it has to be… _this_?!" Astrid snapped at the bulgy man again. Eret just laughed and gave them back the money it required to get all that stuff. "Why, thanks. I owe you guys big time. Ruff will _love_ this," he said with a smirk.

"I don't understand why you aren't going out with each other if you've already reached that level of intimacy," Hiccup wondered aloud. Eret just smiled at him and answered, "Hiccup, my friend. She's not someone who likes to be bound to one man only. And I don't like to be bound to one girl only. We're just helping each other out if we're sexually frustrated."

"Which you're often," Astrid pointed out, "Did you at least think about a present for Tuff?"

"Oh, just leave that to Hiccup, he'll tell you about it," Eret replied nonchalantly. Clearly, he only wanted to buy a present for Ruff. He probably forgot about her twin until Astrid had reminded him.

"Well, I'll look around a bit more. We'll meet at Mc's. See you guys," Eret said before he went off. He did not notice though that Hiccup had taken out one condom box, hiding it in his jacket pocket. After Eret disappeared from their sight, Astrid turned around to Hiccup with a smirk. "Well, why would you need condoms now?" she asked with a wide grin as she stepped a bit closer, just to intimidate him. Hiccup laughed sheepishly as he tried to avoid her eyes, blushing furiously. "Well, you know, it's because of… yeah, because of _that_ , you know? _That_ ," he rambled, his eyes searching something to focus on. Something but her eyes. Astrid grinned even wider and argued, "I did not know that Eret had the same size as you."

Hiccup went redder than a tomato, if that was even possible, and he stuttered, "W-Well, you- you didn't have to know that, a-a-and I didn't know until recently too- can we please change the topic?"

Astrid laughed at his reaction and decided that she had teased him enough. She slipped her hand into his and laced her fingers around his. "Alright, which present are we going to get first?" she asked as he held onto her hand tightly. He hummed a bit before he answered, "I know what I'm going to get for Tuffnut. I don't know about Ruff though. I think I will leave that part to you."

"So Tuff it is. What were you thinking about?"

"A camera. I mean, he likes to record, doesn't he? And it was also his recording that cleared up the misunderstanding from that time too. What do you think?"

"It's a good idea. I don't have a better one anyway, so we'll go with that. But Hiccup, isn't it a bit… _pricy_?" she asked a bit uncertain.

"Not really. I mean, I want to get him a good camera, no question, but it will be a present from _us_ , not from _me_ , which means that we're going to put the money for the camera together instead of only me buying it. That way we can save money and the present will still be valuable. Valuable, meaning that it's not too cheap for, err," Hiccup counts silently as he puts out his finger for each count, "Ten people?" It came out more as a question instead of a statement.

"And if we consider that each one of us is willing to pay 100 dollar, then," Hiccup stops again to calculate the product, which only takes a split second, "Err, we could get him a camera which costs around 1000 dollars, at least. And the good cameras are all around that sum."

Astrid smirked at his presentation of fast and logical way of thinking. Although she still saw some flaws. "Well, that's good and all, but what about Ruff. If we buy one present for Tuff, we should also get one present for Ruff, shouldn't we?" she asks, mumbling another sentence quietly, "Although Eret just got her some… obnoxious present."

Hiccup laughed gently at the last comment and walked with her into an electronic shop. "Let's get Tuff's present first, alright? We can think about Ruff meanwhile," he suggested as he turned to ask the staff where the area for cameras was. They spent nearly an hour deciding what camera they should buy. The staff had compared the various cameras laying in front of them and told them what advantage each had, or if there was a better camera. The better ones would of course demand a higher price. After a while, they still could not decide on a camera. When Astrid had mentioned that they wanted to buy a camera for their friend since he liked to record, the staff had suggested buying a camcorder instead.

The man working there led them to a section nearby and compared several camcorders again, pointing out the advantages and disadvantages, which took another fifteen minutes. In the end, They decided to buy a Sony HXR-MC2500 Camcorder, which was around 1200 dollars. Hiccup said that if they were already buying a high quality product for Tuffnut, they should not shy away from a bit extra cash. When Hiccup told the man his decision, the man reminded him that they had no exemplar ready to buy. He would have to order it and in two days time it would arrive in the shop and Hiccup could come pick it up. Now that one present was ordered, Astrid dragged him out of the shop and led him to another underwear shop for girls.

"A-Another underwear shop? Nope. Totally not. I'm not going in there. Anyway, I think Eret has enough stuff for her concerning that matter," Hiccup said, refusing to go in another embarrassing shop. Astrid pouted and gave him these unbelievable shiny puppy eyes. Nope, even if that gaze made his knees weak, nope, he would not go in there.

"I mean, Victoria's Secret? Really? Even I know what kind of shop that is. No, I'm not going in there," he said resolutely, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Astrid did not even want to buy things for Ruff in there, but rather for herself. She really wanted to know which underwear would turn him on the most. Just out of curiosity though.

"Please?" she asked with a sweet voice, tightening her grip around his hand. Hiccup turned his eyes away and shut them or he might really just go along with her, "Nope. I'm not going."

Astrid pursed her lips and gave him one last stare before she sighed and gave up. No point in dragging him into the shop if he would refuse to give his opinion on it anyway.

"Well, then we'll just have to find some other present for Ruffnut," she said, hiding her own personal interest with that sentence. "I think I know what we could get her."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and looked at her suspiciously. "Does it involve anything where I might embarrass myself?" he asked, just to check if he might take over this task as well instead of leaving it to her. Astrid just punched his arm at that comment and snorted, " _No_ , you big baby. We could get her shoes."

"Err, yes. Shoes, of course… why shoes again?" he asked dumbly.

"Ruffnut mentioned once how she always had to borrow shoes from her friends since she herself had no decent ones. Moreover, it's not like she's poor, but she doesn't see a good reason in spending so much money into shoes. And the good dancing shoes come from money. So, I've been thinking that we might as well get her some decent shoes," Astrid explained openly, her eyes already searching for a shop.

Hiccup hummed at that and found himself agreeing to that idea. Yep, that would do. This time, Astrid was the one to take a good look at the shoes since Hiccup had no way of understanding how girls compared high-heels. Might as well let the expert do the task. It took less time to decide on which shoes to get since Astrid was convinced that she felt the string of fate pulling her towards some black high heels. Yes, he would never understand girls.

Hiccup looked at his phone to check the time and noticed that they were supposed to be at Mc's by now. He unlocked it and sent Toothless a message, saying that he would need a bit more before he arrived.

Half an hour later, the couple arrived at Mc's and searched for their friends. Since they were not in sight, they went upstairs, walking towards the window where the Crew sat, already eating and chatting cheerfully, as cheerful as their character allowed it though. Take for example Hookfang, who just sits there and is amusing himself by watching the group talking about senseless things again. Hiccup told Astrid to go and join them while he would order for some food. She told him what she wanted and gave him a peck on his cheek before she joined the group. Hiccup was standing in line while he waited for his turn, going through the things again that Astrid wanted. After a second, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out. It read _Gobber_ on it and Hiccup wondered why the man was calling him now. He picked up and said, "Henry here, hello?" He heard a cough before the familiar voice spoke up.

"Aye, Hiccup! Haven't heard fae ye fur a while, huh? How urr ye daein'?"

"Hey Gobber. Just, err, keep your Scottish down a bit, I have a hard time understanding you otherwise," he answered with a chuckle. The bulgy man on the other side just laughed and sighed.

"Listen, I asked yer faither to tak' care o` yer financial issues. But I coudnae reach him yet. I will transfer th' dosh- err, sorry,- money to yer credit card in th' neist few days. And I've also taken care o' Astrid's tuition fee. Juist so ye know."

"Thanks Gobber. By the way, sorry I haven't called you lately. I've been busy with… stuff."

"Dun' worry, lad. I know that ye can tak' care o' yersel' juist fine. Well, I hae to go. Thir's aye a lot o' things I have to dae. Err... Did ye... Dae ye know th' news?"

"Which news?" Hiccup asked curiously, unknowing about his father's current situation.

"Well, err, news about yer faither."

"Gobber, I haven't had any contact with him since the last time I asked for help. How should I know if there's any news?"

"Och, aye, uh, I forgot. Sorry about that, lad. Anyway, I have tae go. Tak' care," Gobber said fakingly cheerful as he hung up, leaving a confused Hiccup at the other end of the line. He was about to call him back when the cashier called him to order his menu. Hiccup put his phone away, putting the matter aside for now, and ordered.

Little did he know that there was a shadow lurking over the Crew, watching every move and step that they took. Hiccup felt a cold shiver running down his spine as he turned, searching for something that might have caused it, just to find everything as normal as before. He probably just imagined it…

* * *

 **A/N:**

The question, my friend, is: _Who_ is keeping his or her eyes on the Crew? Either way, this chapter will also serve as an introduction to the upcoming event that I have planned.

Thank you for reading and please leave a review if you have the time.

Date of Update: 10th November 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	37. Chapter 37 - Anticipation

**Chapter 37 – Anticipation**

"So, I'm getting this right, yes? Astrid _is_ coming?" Snotlout asked for a nearly a hundred time now. He was grinning like some idiotic maniac who is waiting for his Christmas present. Ruffnut groaned at that silly imbecile.

"God damn it, _yes_! _Yes,_ she _is_ coming to my party! And stop it, before you ask again: Fucking _YES_ she _is_ coming! Will please stop asking the same question over and over again now? It's not like this is Tuff's and my party. Moreover, not like Astrid is my best friend or something," she spat at him as she tidied her room. Their parents had given them permission to us the house for their party as long as no alcohol and sex was involved. Of course, the twins agreed with crossed fingers behind their backs.

"Is she sleeping over as well?" Snotlout asked rather cheerfully. He had not seen her for quite a while now after she beat him up at Eret's party, but he shook it off as her being too shy to approach him and to apologize to him. To god's blessing, he had already forgiven her. What a good-hearted person he was, there was just no way she could resist him if he had such a big heart and chest for her.

"I don't know! We'll be either too drunk to decide or already getting knocked up by some random guy! Can you shut up now?!" the girl cried in frustration as she yanked her clothes from beneath his feet, which made him stumble.

Getting knocked up by some random guy, huh? Well he certainly was not a random guy, but either way it would be cool to get her knocked up… or laid, he was fine either way. It would boost his ego for sure. He just had to wait for the right chance. Snotlout was an ignorant person, if not totally obsessed with himself. He did not learn from mistakes and did not accept a no. Although the only exception was when his father was ordering him to do something, which he did rarely, and he would have to submit himself, even if it was against his principles. Moreover, since he was such an ignorant person, he had already forgotten how close his cousin had been with Astrid. For him, the only person worthy to be considered standing next to Astrid was himself and nobody else. He was pretty confident that Astrid would choose him in the end anyway. She might just try and gather experience with other guys before she would turn to him. Yes, that was exactly what she was doing and he was already screaming like a little girl at the thought that she will eventually be his. Well, too bad that life had another opinion of that aspect.

* * *

Fishlegs was helping Tuffnut with preparations. Tuffnut recorded the whole day, making a diary log or rather vlog of his birthday. Well, his and his sister's. Even if it was only recording how he went and bought alcohol or whatsoever. He did not upload it anyway since it was solely for him. Fishlegs broke the silence with a question that has been weighing down on his mind. "Um, can you tell me why you two and Astrid haven't been spending time with us anymore? I mean, I know that Astrid prefers to stay as far away as possible from Snotlout, but what would pull even you two away from… _us_?"

"I've been spending time with some crazy twins. I swear they think just like me! Here I thought that there was nobody on this earth who could think like me. But they just do! Well, that and my sister's been chasing after some hunk."

Fishlegs looked up at that comment with a raised eyebrow. Certainly, he admired Astrid for her strong personality. However, he knew that Astrid was too far for him to reach, which was the reason why he never actually developed a crush on her. He had given up before he even had the chance. That and her violence caused him to tremble every time he was near her. Respect and Fear were the only feelings he had towards her. Nevertheless, he thought that maybe things would work out between him and Ruff. Yes, she was somewhat crazy, and yes, he was the total opposite from her. But he thought he could get her with the excuse that opposites attracted each other. Now he knew though that she already had eyes for somebody else. And again, without trying he found himself giving up on someone without even trying. It was for the best anyway.

"You invited the Tech-Tech-Gang, right?" Fishlegs asked for confirmation as he took out the plastic cups and sweets. The so-called Tech-Tech-Gang was nothing but the technology club the two of them were in. They both attended the same university and figured that it might be a good way to pass their time if they joined a club.

"Of course I did. It would be no fun without my brave warriors!" Tuffnut exclaimed as he raised a fist into the air, looking too dramatic for his own good. Fishlegs just smiled at that and sat down on the couch.

"Ruff won't like it though. I think she has developed disgust towards our friends," Fishlegs scoffed nervously.

"Never you mind about that! She has her own friends that she invited. Who actually are my friends as well. Hm. Whatever. Astrid will be coming too, with her boyfriend and Barf and Belch and-"

"Wait, wait, wait!… What?!" Fishlegs interrupted him as he shook his head and gripped at his hair like his dear life was about to escape his mouth. "Astrid has a boyfriend?"

Tuffnut nodded nonchalantly and answered, "Yeah. As I already said. She and her boyfriend will be coming. In addition with Barf and Belch and-"

"Since when?!" Fishlegs interrupted him again, his eyes widened in disbelief. There was no way that _the_ Astrid Hofferson was going out with someone. And if she did… it had to mean that the lucky guy had to be some serious god. Because that was what or who he would pair her up with.

Tuffnut, not letting the interruption influence his mood, held out his hand as if he were counting something. "Well, there was this one time when she got jealous over Stormy and Heather. Then there was this serious background story to their first meeting, which was like, ages ago. Err, well, what do you mean _since when_? How long she has known him? How long she wanted him? How long she's been keeping it a secret from us? Could you please be specific, like, I only have half of my brain right now! The other half is currently wooing Snotlout!"

"Ew! Don't even imagine it! I… I mean how long she's being going out with him. Or… Or how long she's been keeping it a secret…" Fishlegs voice got quieter as the sentence went on. What was that feeling? Hurt? Was he hurt because Astrid did not entrust them with her secret? He knew that she did not like to talk about these kinds of things. But it still stung to know that Astrid was interested in someone and did not even think about telling them, including him. He could understand that she did not want to tell Snotlout, but what kept her from telling Ruff, Tuff and him? Well, now that the twins know it, he was the only one he did not, next to Snotlout that is.

"Who knows," Tuffnut replied, not overthinking it at all. "She just told Ruff about her past with him. I wasn't really interested. And I think it's been over a month now since I've heard Ruff screaming from the top of her lung how Astrid had finally found her _fated_ , or some bullshit like that."

It really was bullshit. He was spying on Ruff just out of fun and had realized that his sister was talking to Astrid over the phone. He had hidden a microphone somewhere on the back of her nightstand table. At first it seemed that his sister was only gushing about Eret but suddenly the whole topic took a serious turn as he heard his sister getting quieter with every passing second. He had turned on the volume of his headset, trying to understand what was going on. However, that move soon proved to have backfired since suddenly his sister screamed awfully close to the nightstand table, which caused the device on his head to overheat, giving out painful sounds that could easily make a shy person getting aggressive at no time. It was even worse than the sound of fingernails on the blackboard. That sound caused his interest in his sister's girl talk to fade away pretty much immediately as he pulled off his headset, throwing it as far as possible – so far his room allowed it.

"I feel so left out…" Fishlegs admitted meekly. Who would not feel that way if all your friends knew something except you. It almost borders on the feeling of betrayal, not that his friends betrayed him in any way, no. It was just the feeling that pained his overly large chest.

"So he'll attend the party as well?" the plump boy asked.

"Yeah. And he'll bring along his friends with him, who also happen to be our friends. Although I hope that some disaster will break out. I swear I'm already looking forward to Snotlout meeting Hiccup!" Tuffnut exclaimed, punching with his fist into the air.

" _Hiccup_?" Fishlegs raised an eyebrow at that unusual use of word, which was supposed to refer to one of his friends.

"As if _Fishlegs_ is any better," Tuff countered, changing the settings of his camera once again. He really needed a new one, since he slowly got tired of always adjusting the camera time and time again. But still, he did not have the money or great desire to purchase it anyway. He was content with the current devices that he had ready. Most of them were self-made though.

"When will they be here?"

"Don't know man. They'll be here if they think it's time to be here. Duh, you really need to relax for once," Tuffnut criticized him.

"Yeah, well… yeah. Sorry…"

"You sure apologize for strange things."

"Yeah… sorry."

* * *

It was a strange sensation. Ever since Hiccup had returned with the Crew from Mc's, he had that dark feeling of someone watching him. At some point, he declared himself crazy and paranoid for fearing something that did not exist.

He picked up his shirt and pants that lay scattered on the ground, throwing it on the bed again. He had been ready to depart for the party. Everything had been fine. His shirt was on, his pants were on, and his vest was on as well as his shoes. He wanted to check one last time if everything was alright, seeking a mirror. The only mirrors the Crew had were either in the bathrooms or in the girl's rooms. He had waited in front of the bathroom door since it was locked. Apparently, Astrid was showering in there, getting ready for the party. He had watched the walls as if they were somehow fascinating until the lock on the door clicked.

He was about to enter the bathroom when suddenly his view was greeted with a half-naked Astrid, her body concealed in a towel as she stepped out. Her hair was down she was… wet.

"You can go in," she had encouraged him as she passed him, motioning towards his room. Like a machine that had just scanned the situation, he had two options. First, go into the bathroom and do what he wanted to do in the first place. Or second, follow the beauty that had just passed him and give her another time of her life. As one could imagine, the decision was awfully difficult to make… not. He had rushed after her, grabbing her at the wrist and dragged her into his room, locking door, followed by him pinning her arms painfully against the door. From then on it just got warmer while the air got heated by their trembling lust and desire for each other. Clothes and towels were discarded in a matter of seconds as they found their way to the bed.

Hiccup smiled at the memory of what had just happened minutes ago. He was truly blessed to have her as his girlfriend. Someone who accepted him for who he was. He still did not believe it though. Sometimes he expected it to just vanish. Everything that he had built up by himself would simply vanish, he would still live with his father and he would just exist. He would eat, drink, sleep – he would exist, but not live. He sat down at the bed and pulled his clothes on. Eventually, he felt Astrid shift under the blankets and he would move so she could wrap herself in the warmth. She blinked, looking at him with a gentle smile.

"You should get dressed, we have to go soon," he reminded her amused.

"Yeah, yeah. Ruffnut can wait."

"You sure about that?"

"Totally."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely su-"

"Hiccup."

"Err, yes?"

"Shut up," she snapped as she closed her eyes again in order to relax for whatever short time she had left to enjoy his presence. After a while, she opened one of her eyes and found him watching her. She smirked. She would never get tired of him looking at her as if she were something fragile, someone he could imagine spending his life with, well, not that he had ever told her that, but she hoped that it was the case.

"Hiccup?" she whispered again.

"Hm?" he returned her gentle smile and waited for what she had to say. She bit her lip and wanted to kiss him, just because. However, instead she took his hand, slowly wrapping her fingers around his. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hello guys. It's been a while, huh? … Thing is, I have the concept more or less down for this story. However, I also have another idea for another HTTYD Fanfiction, which always pops into my mind when I try to concentrate on this story. So I always get both stories mixed up and get confused and yes. Thinking too much isn't really healthy… At the moment, I'm thinking about if I should continue to concentrate as much as possible onto this story, or if I should start the other story too, updating it parallel to this story. I'd rather prefer to end this one before I start any other though, but then again, if I write the other one down, I might get my mind off it. I'm really conflicted right now.

Anyway, thanks for reading as always.

Date of Update: 15th November 2015

 **~ KeGzZ**


	38. Chapter 38 - Expectations

**Chapter 38 – Expectations**

It rang and everyone could hear footsteps approaching the door right in front of them. It did not take long until Ruffnut ripped the door open, intending to greet the Crew with a loud shout about a perverted scene she had just imagined. The anticipation was great. Well, what else could result from a shout of several dirty sentences that were stored far, far, _far_ away in her brain? Ah, yes, disgusted faces as well as stunned expressions. She was about to shout out her most intimate and private secrets when suddenly the group beat her to it.

"Happy Birthday!" the crew shouted in a choir, totally shutting her off unintentionally. Ruffnut, standing in front of them with an open mouth just managed to ask, " _Penis?_ "

Everyone laughed all the while the star of the day invited them into her house. Tuffnut was already enjoying his time with his friends from the technology club, Fishlegs included. When he heard several voices overlapping each other, he turned his head to the source and grinned widely at the sight of the crew. However, before Tuffnut could even get close to them, Snotlout decided to greet them first.

"Babe! I haven't seen you since… let me think… ever! I missed you!" he called out cheerfully, already trying to embrace her in a tight hug. Astrid grimaces and was stepped to the side. The same moment she lifted her foot, she felt a familiar and warm arm wrapping around her waist, dragging her away. Snotlout ended up hugging himself, which disappointed him. Turning his head to the reason of it, he stood with his back straight again, trying to look as intimidating as he could manage. "Well, who do we have here? Who invited _you_ to this party?" Snotlout asked with a smug grin.

"The girl who's supposed to be the main actress today, _Scott_ ," Hiccup spat at him, although a bit too politely in Toothless' opinion.

"Too bad that there's no need for you here, Useless. She already has me on this party so you're not needed," Scott replied, already annoying everybody around him.

While Snotlout continued to seek a fight with Hiccup, he in return just ignored him, looking around the house and examining it. Astrid closed in on Ruffnut and whispered curiously, "Why did you invite him again?"

"I fucking didn't! Fishlegs slipped up and told him about this party, and as you can imagine, Mr. brawn-but-no-brain invited himself to this party. He's been nagging me about you _the whole time_. For fuck's sake, if you weren't my best friend, I would have told you to stay home in order to avoid him ruining my party, which - mind you - he already did by breaking the favorite cup of my mother," Ruffnut answered just as silently, explaining her best friend in a rather annoyed undertone the consequence it will have. Heck, nobody messed with Ruffnut's mother, or rather, nobody dared. Every single one, who thought of himself or herself brave enough to take on Ruffnut's mother was met with a horrible painful right hook, which sent them straight to the hospital.

"So? How's it going with your lovely, scrawny Romeo?" Ruffnut asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at her, giving her that familiar uncomfortable stare that she always gave, whenever she was too interested in a topic. It would take months for her to stop, which Astrid definitely had not the nerves for right now, with all her problems still hanging over her head.

"Better than I can even imagine," she simply answered. That was a good answer. Not too short but also not too detailed. It was vague. And she hoped dearly that her beloved blonde friend would take it and let her be. However, she knew deep within her heart that it was not even slightly enough for Ruffnut. So, with a quick idea Astrid decided to change the focus away from her and towards Ruffnut instead. "What about you? Care to explain me the thing that's going on between you and Eret? He told us that the thing between you two is something like a friendship with benefits. I thought you wanted him?" Astrid asked, going with Ruff to the living room where Tuffnut and Fishlegs were already waiting.

"It's complicated. I want him, no doubt. But it's like an unspoken rule between us. I have the feeling that everything will crumble if I tell him about it, about me wanting him as a real boyfriend. So here I am, stuck with that vague definition of a relationship between us. I don't even know if he feels the same about me. I mean, yes, I'm perfect, and smart, and beautiful, and tall, and have a good figure and-"

"Yes, yes, yes, you're perfect. I get it. Get to the point."

"He's just fucking perfect! I mean, _I'm_ perfect. And _he's_ perfect! And we're clearly _made_ for each other! But since we're _both_ perfect, we have _both_ the right to decide if we want to be stuck with each other's perfect features, which we actually shouldn't even think about. But you know, it's boring to live your life with someone who's as perfect and flawless as you, right?"

"Rrrrrright…" Astrid drag out the pronunciation a little longer, obviously doubting everything that her best friend had just said but she did not mind telling her opinion since she knew that the crazy blonde would not listen to her anyway. Ruffnut raised an eyebrow again, giving her that suspicious look, as if she were to check out her friend.

"Anyway," she continued, wiggling her eyebrows, "Did you do the do?"

"Ruff! Why-"

"Astrid!" Tuffnut called joyfully, coming up to her with open arms.

The girls turned around to look at the person who had just interrupted their conversation. Ruffnut clicked her tongue while Astrid mentally made a note to herself to thank him for the saving. She still did not understand Ruffnut's reasoning but she would not ask further anyway. All the while Ruffnut and Tuffnut argued, Fishlegs made an appearance and tapped Astrid's shoulder. The girl in question turned around and was greeted with that overfamiliar chubby face.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. H-How are you?" he asked, shrinking into himself a bit, as he went on, his self-confidence dropping to the low level it always was.

Astrid smiled. It really had been a while since she had talked to him the last time. She liked him as a friend. His personality may be the complete opposite from hers but it soothed her to know that he was a friend who would listen to her if she really needed it. Of course, Ruffnut did the same. However, she only listened to a limited amount of her problems until her mind could not take it anymore, leading her to distract herself with other things. Ruffnut had already apologized a couple of times for her behavior and Astrid forgave her. She knew that the blonde could not concentrate too much at once. She was not angry with her, not even the slightest. It was just that Astrid would have liked it if there was someone out there who willed to listen to her. She had not opened up to anyone until she met Hiccup again. It was as if a wall of iron had surrounded her heart, preventing other's from intruding and also unconsciously keeping her away from others. She had a hard time trusting people for a really long time.

Actually, Astrid was an open-minded girl. She said what she thought aloud. She did not shrink away from telling people off, no matter if the people were of her age or adults. The matter was just that since she had _lost_ Hiccup, the pain had hit her harder than expected. It was like a defense mechanism. She did not want to feel the same pain ever again, so she stopped letting people near her core. She still let people talk to her but she herself never talked about her problems ever again. It was still nice to know that there was a person willing to listen to her anyway though. Even if none of them would be able to replace Hiccup. That is why she appreciated Fishlegs' caring nature.

"I'm fine. How about you?" she answered with a gentle smile. Of course, that just _had_ to take him off guard. Fishlegs stared at her for a good minute before he pulled himself together again. He shook his head for a moment as to rid of all his thoughts that just went flying through his mind. He scratched his chin with his finger, looking anywhere but at her, stuttering, "W-Well, I'm pretty good. I-It's been lonely though, without you and the twins around…"

Astrid looked at him, realizing that she had indeed forgotten about him and Snotlout. Who could blame her? Her head was filled with Hiccup only after they had reunited, and her father kicking her out just made her focus on him more. He is the reason why she was still standing on her two feet. It did not excuse her from neglecting Fishlegs though. But she did not feel like telling him the story yet.

"I've… been busy. Things came up and I… did not have time to go out with you guys. And Ruff's somehow stuck with me and Tuff's wherever Ruff is. So… I'm sorry we've kept you out of this until now," she explained slowly, making sure that Fishlegs did not jump to unnecessary conclusions.

"Oh. Okay… I think I can understand that. Erm, yes… It's okay. Really. It's just that… yeah, I felt a bit left out. I mean, you left me with _him_ alone," Fishlegs said, his voice getting lower as he glanced to Snotlout. Astrid followed his eyes and chuckled. "And I'm surprised. You've… changed. Not in a bad way! In a good way! Definitely a good way! You… You're more relaxed. Your shoulders aren't stiff anymore."

Astrid smiled at him and answered, "Yeah. The past months have made a big impression on me. I'm not going to tell you about it now though. I'll tell you sometime later. There were just so many things going on and to be honest, I don't want to talk about it right now."

"No offense taken," Fishlegs said with a raised hand, smiling at her sheepishly, "But… w-well, how should I put it… Tuff told me that you got yourself a… boyfriend?" His voice died out at the end while he lowered his face unconsciously. He felt like he was stepping into a forbidden territory. He was sure that Astrid would give him the cold stare and tell him that it was none of his business. At least, that was the case whenever the group asked her about her interest in boys. She would scowl, click her tongue, frown and shut everyone up by beating them up… or rather, beating Snotlout up. However, this time she seemed to blush, and fidgeting even. She looked to the side several times, as if she was checking if there was someone around who listened in on them. Of course, she could not care less about who did or who did not listen in on them. It was just a something that went through with her, like a reflex.

"Yeah… I do have a boyfriend now," Astrid answered with a love-struck grin. Fishlegs did not believe his eyes. _The_ Astrid Hofferson could actually show such an expression. Now he really was curious about the person who had managed to steal her heart.

"How is he?"

"He's a jerk."

As expected, Fishlegs gave her that dumbstruck look, where the corners of his lips drop to a level that people would not expect to be able to drop that much. His lips pursed and his eyebrows rose to the heavens. Astrid laughed at his expression and Fishlegs blushed uncomfortably.

"He's a jerk, he's an idiot, he's sarcastic, he's scrawny, he's a show-off and he's a smartass. But he's also nice, caring, handsome in his own way and he's always there when I need him," she said, her expression turning slowly from laughter to an adorable one. She wore that gentle smile again, her eyes drifting away from reality as she characterized him. "And I just love him so much."

Fishlegs smiled and gave out a sigh of relief. He did not know what that tingly feeling in his chest was, but it somehow reminded him of a father being relieved that his daughter has found her chosen one.

"That's nice to hear. Tuff said that he would also attend the party. Where is he?" he asked curiously, wanting the person in question in front of him right now. He turned to look around, his eyes searching for someone who might fit the term _scrawny_. Just when they finished talking about the devil, Hiccup sneaked up to Astrid from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin in the crook between her shoulder and neck.

"The idiotic, sarcastic, scrawny jerk and smartass of a show-off heard everything," he said, tightening his grip around her as if to threaten her slightly. Astrid however seemed unfazed and so he decided to pull out his emergency card. Slowly, he sneaked his hands under the rim of her shirt and when she still leaned into him, he squeezed her side with a hard grip. She yelped and threw a fist immediately into his direction. But since her back was facing him, her attack ended in vain and even the struggling did not save her from his teasing grip. "Hiccup! I swear! Stop!" she yelled, half laughing though.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" he teased her, grinning maniacally as he held her down while he continued to tickle and squeeze her sides.

"Pleaaaaase! Stoooop!" she pleaded and her face slowly turned from joyful to painful. Hiccup sighed and stopped, still hugging her though. "That hurt, idiot…"

"Don't blame me. You went off telling people about how bad I am," he answered, resting his head on her shoulder.

The couple continued the banter while Fishlegs stood at the sideline, watching them. Ruffnut joined him as she waited for him to save his first impression of the tall and lean boyfriend.

"And? What do you think about him?" she finally asked, crossing her arms with an amusing grin.

"He's… average. I thought that… he would definitely be someone who's out of our league."

"Oh trust me, he is out of our league. The only one who's allowed to stand next to him is our lovely Astrid there."

"Well, still, that's… unexpected."

"Who are you telling that? Of course it's unexpected. We're talking about Astrid here."

"Truly… unexpected."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey there, I'm back. I'm sorry for abruptly taking such a long break from writing this story, but life's been upside down and I didn't – or rather, don't - get as much time for writing fanfiction anymore as I did before. I had to help out my parents over the past two months with their work and free time was short, I was tired and I just wanted to sleep.

I don't know how much I'll be able to update per week, so I won't make any promises concerning the updates. They'll happen when they happen. Although I feel bad for leaving you with a sort-of-cliffhanger for two months. I was even mad at myself. But please notice that it was definitely _not_ intended. Just bad timing.

Again, thank you for reading and I wish you all a happy new year.

Date of Update: 2nd January 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	39. Chapter 39 - Friendship

**Chapter 39 – Friendship**

"Alright you disgusting love-birds, get away from each other! Let me remind you that Tuff and me are the stars today," Ruffnut said as she clapped her hand, slipping her hands between the chests of Astrid and Hiccup and pushing them away from each other with force. Astrid just laughed into her face, which earned her a jab into her sides. Astrid glared at Ruffnut, who in return just stuck out her tongue with a wide grin.

"Alright! Where are my presents?" she asked, when everyone had gathered in the living room. It was not that big, but also not too small. It was a little bit cramped with all the people being in one room and all but Ruffnut liked it. She knew herself that her family was not so well off. People had often judged her because of that very reason. However, Astrid was different.

* * *

 _Everyone avoided her and her brother, or told them what they wanted to hear out of pity. Ruffnut hated pity more than anything else. Tuffnut could have cared less but Ruffnut was pissed. It was also the reason why she would often go on a rampage. Teachers would scold them afterwards while all the kids would be too scared off to talk to them. Slowly, they got isolated and suddenly the twins were all that they had left to keep on standing and walking forward._

 _One day, Snotlout thought it would be funny to make them feel even more miserable. They were just in elementary school but Snotlout was already a scumbag at that young age. Nobody knows where his traits came from or why he did what he did but nobody tried to change him anyway. Kids were innocent most of the time, if not even honest. And if they were honest, they did not know why, but since nobody wanted to end up as the receiving end as the twins were, they took Snotlout's side._

 _A class project had been going on for a few months. They had to build a city out of paper and wood sticks that they found outside. The class was split into teams with each having four people. They were rotating teams every week so that each team could work one week at the project while they would get to know each other and learn to work with each other. Life was cruel though, it just had to put the twins together with Scott fucking Snotlout into a team. The fourth one was a blonde girl. She was mostly quiet and did not talk much. For some reason, she had begun to braid her hair since a few weeks ago. Ruffnut thought that she looked better with open hair but who was she to judge. What annoyed her more was that she was that she had the attention of every boy except Tuffnut. He was way too focused on his own dreamland and protecting his sister to even notice the sweet and alluring charm around her. And every time she was forced to watch stupid Snotlout trying to woo the blonde without success. At first, it satisfied her to see that Snotlout did not get everything he wanted. Afterwards, it just got annoying though._

 _Anyway, it was that particular day when everything changed. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were talking in a low voice about what buildings or landscape they could add next. Be that as it may, they were quite creative for their age. When they had agreed on something, they both got to work immediately. After a while, Ruffnut had finished the first part of the building and was holding it up to look at her work with prideful and triumphant eyes. She was about to lay it back on the table but before she could move, Snotlout had already snatched it away from her hand._

" _Hey! Give that back!" she yelled angrily, glaring at him with her deadliest intentions she could muster._

" _Huh? Just let me see. I'm not breaking it so I can at least look at it right?" Snotlout argued while waving the piece of paper in the air._

" _Hey! You heard her! Give it back to her!" Tuffnut stood up as he stomped his way to Snotlout. He however did not move as he swung the paper to the ground._

" _There you have it," he said. Tuffnut was about to pick it up for Ruffnut when Snotlout suddenly stomped on it, breaking the finely glued house with ease. Tuffnut's eyes widened at the sight of Snotlout's shoe pressed tightly against the paper house that his sister spent so much care for. Tuffnut was frozen in place for a second that Snotlout thought he had actually pissed his pants. He was about to laugh at the pitiful sight when suddenly Tuffnut lashed out on him, dragging him down to the ground. The teacher was immediately on the way to break the two apart. She did not arrive in time though to prevent the first two hits that Tuffnut pulled on Snotlout. She took him away from Snotlout forcefully and waited for him to calm down._

" _What in Odin's name were you two doing?!" the teacher asked as she scolded Tuffnut. "You know that violence is not accepted in here!"_

" _It's not my fault! Snotlout-!" Tuffnut tried to defend himself, however was cut off._

" _You heard me!"_

" _It not fair! It's always him!"_

" _You can't just say that it's his fault, Tyson, just because you don't like him. This is the third time this week. I will call you parents and then we will talk about your behavior, young boy. Now get back to your project and if I hear another quarrel starting, I may even suspend you."_

 _The teacher was about to turn around when Astrid said in a calm voice, "It's not Tyson's fault."_

 _The teacher faced Astrid with a surprised look. The blonde girl never got herself involved if it concerned any quarrel. She had top marks and she was always a role model for the whole class. Never had she raised her voice to defend someone._

" _Well, Astrid. Would you mind explaining me why it's not his fault?" she said with a sweet voice, almost a fake motherly voice. The blonde looked at Tyson before she faced the teacher again._

" _Snotlout took away the house paper that Rachel built and Tyson wanted to get it back for her. But Snotlout threw it to the ground and stepped on it on purpose. So it's only logical that Tyson would jump at him and try to beat him up," Astrid explained matter-of-factly with a straight face._

" _Uhh… yes. I think that would explain everything. Nevertheless, it's not good to use violence, even if one's not at fault. Try to solve it with words next time, alright Tyson?" the teacher asked the short boy. Tuffnut just widened his eyes in surprise and nodded slowly. When everybody sat down again, the twins stared at Astrid for a good minute before the girl realized it. She lifted her head and looked at them._

" _What?"_

" _You're awesome. Thank you," Tuffnut said in wonder._

" _What does logical mean?" Ruffnut asked, also astonished from the fact that Astrid Hofferson had just defended them. Them, the twins who are known for their poverty, who nobody wanted to approach._

" _I don't know. It just seemed right to use it," Astrid said as she shrugged._

" _Where did you even pick up that word?" Ruffnut asked, intrigued that there was something the great Astrid Hofferson did not know._

" _From my boy friend," Astrid said, smiling at the thought that she will meet him after school again._

 _She looked around and noticed that the mouths of the twins hang open. "What?"_

" _Wha-wha- You got a boyfriend?!" the twins asked synchronically. Even Snotlout had wide eyes as he listened. It was the first time he did not interrupt a conversation._

" _Well, yeah. That's what I said. A. Boy. Friend," she said slower, skeptic that the twins still might not get it._

" _Did you kiss?" Snotlout asked perturbed about the new information. He often saw that on TV how a boyfriend and girlfriend would kiss each other._

" _Yeah," she answered without bashing her eyelids together even once._ On the cheek _, she thought to herself._

 _Snotlout's jaw dropped and he froze. Ruffnut grinned. Maybe the blonde was not as boring as she had thought first. She looked at the hands of the blonde and realized that she was not good with fine work at all. Ruffnut laughed at the sight and carefully took the messy work from the blonde's hand._

" _Let me help you," Ruffnut offered, already starting the work without listening to the answer. "What the hell. So all the messy works are from you?"_

" _Don't you dare tell a soul," Astrid glared at her and got back to work. The twins laughed while Astrid held her head high as she tried to redo her work once again. Certainly, that was the beginning of their friendship._

* * *

"What the fuck! How expensive was it? Spill it!" she demanded as she looked at the gorgeous heels right in front of her.

"Not much," Astrid said as she chuckled, "Try them on."

Ruffnut did not need to be told twice and slipped into her new shoes with ease – they fit perfectly. She walked around a bit before she ran into Astrid's arm, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you! They're amazing. I love them!" she said as she tried to squeeze her side too. The moment her hands were at the right place, Astrid shoved her off immediately.

"No! I love you and you're my best friend, but no! Never ever do that – like – ever!" she scolded her and was about to turn around when she bumped into Tuffnut.

"And what did you get me? Don't tell me you got me shoes as well," he asked with a disgusted face. Barf and Belch looked at each other before they grinned at him mischievously.

"Wait. You _did_ get me shoes?" The twins just continued to grin at him widely. Before Tuffnut could break out into a hysteria of disappointment, Hookfang pulled them away and stepped forward. Tuffnut froze and awaited whatever was to come. To his honesty, he did not know what to think of the red-haired young man. He never spoke to anyone but the Crew, mostly to Hiccup and Meatlug.

Hookfang pulled out a package, which was wrapped up in fine present paper. Tuffnut wondered why it was so large and what was inside it.

"Happy Birthday," the red-haired spoke for the first time directly to Tuffnut. He looked up at him in wonder and grinned. "It's a present from the whole Crew. Just make sure your sister doesn't get jealous or anything."

"Jealous? Why would I?" Ruffnut huffed as she stood still, presenting her heels.

"Open it," Meatlug encouraged him while the Crew waited with anticipation. Tuffnut set the large package down to the table and opened it, ripping the present paper away as his curiosity reached its peak when he saw the first color of the original package. When all the ripping was done, he sat frozen in front of his new camcorder. He traced the package carefully with his fingers, as if he was afraid that it might break if he were to handle it roughly.

"And? Do you like it?" Hiccup asked, a hesitant smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Maybe he did not want something like that? Maybe he got it wrong after all and Tuffnut did not need something like that. Maybe-

"Are you serious?! What did I do to deserve this?! How am I supposed to pay this back?! Ever considered that! Heck, I love it!" Tuffnut yelled and jumped up as he squeaked like a little girl. He rambled on about all the things he could to now with the new camcorder. Even Fishlegs got excited and joined the discussion of what Tuffnut could do.

"I swear, guys, you're the best!" he shouted cheerfully. "That's a hundred- no, a thousand times better than what Snotlout got me!"

Everyone laughed except Snotlout. He hated it, being outdone in every possible way there was.

"What did he give you?" Heather asked, looking at the more or less handsome guy without any brain.

"An album full of halfnaked photos of himself," Tuffnut answered, shuddering by the mere memory. Everyone pulled the same faces as Tuffnut and took a step away from Snotlout.

"Hey! Just because you can't see the value behind my awesomeness, doesn't mean that you can make fun of my gift!" Snotlout yelled annoyed and angry.

"Yeah, yeah. We know," Heather said sarcastically. However, Snotlout did not get it and widened his eyes.

"Really? You know how awesome I am?" he asked, too innocent for her taste.

"Yes. Because everybody else can't _see_ it," she emphasized.

The Crew got back to the twins and waited for Eret to hand over his present. Snotlout stood silently there for a few seconds. Then it hit him. Heather was certainly beautiful and she understood his awesomeness. Instead of chasing the blonde like an uncool nerd, he could just change his target. Astrid could still turn to him while he enjoyed his time with the raven-haired girl. And maybe that would make Astrid jealous. Yes, that's the plan! He would go with that.

While Snotlout got more lost in his thoughts, Eret stood in front of Ruffnut. However, before she could accept her gift, Eret lifted her onto his shoulder and brought her upstairs. "Take over for me, will you?" he shouted on the way as he kidnapped the young girl. Hiccup and Astrid's faces turned into a sick color, the mere image of what could happen upstairs with the things they got for Eret was even worse than burning in hell. Not that they have already experienced it but they could imagine. And the imagination was enough to make them shiver in fear.

"What did Eret get her?" Tuffnut asked. Everyone turned to the couple with questioned eyes, giving them their full attention.

"..."

"You do not want to know that."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Well, a little bit insight to Ruff's and Tuff's past. I understand that the whole story should be focused on Hiccup and Astrid only, but I still think that it is necessary to characterize the other persons more. For me, I can't sympathize or understand a person unless I know their past. It's everyone'S own choice to decide if they tell their friends their story or not. Some may have a better life than the other, and some might not. And that is also one of the reasons why personalities differ from each other. But it is because we're humans that we (or most of us) try to understand other people and care for them. That's how love and friendships begin, in my opinion.

Maybe you might have a different opinion and I will accept that. But I just want to say that this is the reason why I think that even characters who aren't the protagonists should still get some 'fine tuning'.

Again, thank you for reading!

Date of Update: 6th January 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	40. Chapter 40 -Something fishy

**Chapter 40 – Something fishy**

"Alright, I will open my lovely camcorder later. We're late for the party," Tuffnut said as he pulled on his jacket.

Everyone stared at him as if he had just grown a second head. "I thought we're going to party here?" Astrid asked for confirmation as she directed her stare to Ruffnut.

"Well yeah, partly. But we also made reservations at a club. Might as well enjoy ourselves to the fullest, right?" Ruffnut said, winking as she too pulled on her black leather jacket.

"W-W-Wait…! Y-You know th-that I d-don't like crowded p-places!" Fishlegs stuttered, suddenly feeling really insecure about the whole idea.

"Come on! It won't be that bad. I mean, you might even meet a _girl_ ," Tuffnut said cheerfully as he gave a strong slap on his back. While Fishlegs was still debating if he should actually go or not, the rest had already put on their jackets as they left one after another. Meatlugs was still putting her shoes on while Hookfang waited outside for her. Hiccup was about to leave after Astrid but stopped in his track for a moment as he turned his head to look over his shoulder. Fishlegs still stood there in the middle or the corridor. He probably was not even aware that he might be left behind. Hiccup looked around and decided to approach the big boy.

"Yo, err…" Hiccup began. He tried to remember his name but the only thing he was sure about was that his name began with the capital letter 'F'.

"Fishlegs. Just call me Fishlegs," the huge boy said sheepishly and a bit too fast. He certainly did not have much confidence in himself, so it seemed.

"Fishlegs, yes. I just wanted to remind you that you'll be left behind if you don't hurry," Hiccup said slowly, waiting for his reaction.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Uhm, thanks?" Fishlegs said, although the last part came out more as a question than an actual answer. Hiccup observed him as the huge boy moved with insecurity towards his shoes. After he put on his jacket, Hiccup went up to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You know, parties aren't about dancing and flirting only, if that's what you think. You can meet people, even if you're _not_ good with strangers. There might be someone at the party who's willing to spend time with you out of her or his own will. Sometimes, if everything gets too much, I go out for a while and sometimes, someone would join me and share the silence with me. Don't get cold feet, just stay calm and if you have the confidence to approach someone, you might even make a new friend," Hiccup explained. While he did that, he also looked outside to check if the rest was still waiting for them. Astrid stood patiently next to Ruffnut as they both joked. Meatlugs was waiting for Hiccup, since she always played the mother-role of the Crew, making sure that everyone was present and counted. Hookfang stood at the doorsteps, watching them.

"U-Uhm… thank you for your words. No really, thank you. B-But well, it's not that easy, you know? I mean, I'm not really… err… attractive, as you might say. So I-I'd rather prefer being alone with the group… yes. Alone. That would be nice," Fishlegs tried to convince Hiccup to leave him alone, his voice dropping as he finished his sentence. The boy lowered his head and looked at his feet.

Hiccup however just gave him a lopsided grin and answered, "Just leave it to me." He put on his jacket and left the house, returning to the Crew.

"Thank you for underst- w-wait, what?!" Fishlegs exclaimed as he too rushed outside.

"It was time. Gods, I swear you're as slow as a turtle," Ruffnut remarked as she locked the door.

"S-Sorry," he replied quickly and turned his eyes back to Hiccup. He wanted to keep him from whatever he was planning to do. However, he could not reach him for he had already entered the car with his friends. Whatever that boy was planning, it definitely was not good for his heart. He was _absolutely_ _sure_ that it will give him at least a heart-attack. He took a deep breath before he joined Tuffnut's car. Might as well prepare himself for the upcoming event, right?

* * *

Half an hour later, they arrived at the club. Right in front of them was a long queue of people around their age, maybe older even. There was a huge light board over the entrance, spelling 'Archipelago' with bright LED lights. Ruffnut went to the bouncer and took out her ID card. "Rachel Thorston. I think we should be on the list," she stated. The bouncer flicked through the paper before looking up at her again. He glanced to the side and locked his eyes with Ruffnut's again. "Are these your people?" he asked as he pointed with his finger to her friends behind her. Ruffnut turned around and then back to the bouncer.

"Yes, they belong to me," she answered and watched as the bouncer stopped the queue for a moment to unlock the red rope, allowing them free entrance.

"You may pass," he stated and waited for everyone to go in, before he added, "Enjoy your stay." After that, he locked the rope back to its former place and turned his attention back to the queue in front of him again.

They passed the corridor and arrived at the main hall. Loud music could be heard from every direction and people were dancing in the middle of the hall while a DJ chose and changed the music according to the wishes of the customers from one of the corners. There was a bar next to the DJ and several chairs and tables around the dance floor as well as banks at the side.

"Okay, where are we going to sit?" Tuffnut asked curiously and was about to find a place for him and the rest when suddenly a young woman appeared. She had long legs and wore black pants and a white blouse. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, which emphasized her long and beautiful face. Before anyone could react, Snotlout edged Tuffnut aside and flexed his muscles.

"Hello. My name's Scott and I think we're meant to be," he stated with a broad grin, showing his crooked teeth. He put his arm around her shoulder and was about to flirt some more. His arm did not lay on her shoulder for even a second when the young woman grabbed his wrist as she turned around him, dragging his arm painfully along. She bent his hand into the opposite direction, which hurt even more. Snotlout yelped and tried to get out of her grip, to no avail though.

"Hands. Off. Me," the young woman seethed and let go of his hand afterwards. She turned to Ruffnut and gave her sign to follow her. The boys, except Hiccup, Toothless and Hookfang, looked at her butt the moment she turned around and to be honest, it truly was a magnificent sight. Nobody dared to make a comment though after they witnessed what had happened to Snotlout.

"This is your place. If you need something, just tell the bartender. Remember your table number. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said coldly before she went away.

"It's round…" Barf was the first to comment on it.

"And I bet it's soft as fuck," Belch added.

"I would love to slap that ass," Thuggory said dreamily.

Everybody turned to look at him. Some raised their eyebrows, some snickered and some outright laughed at him. "What?! It really would be nice!" Thuggory tried to defend himself, pouting as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sure, do that and she'll break your arm," Heather remarked as she gave him a wink in order to emphasize her point.

"Hey! Get out of my way, fatty. Who the hell let _you_ in?!" someone yelled from behind. They all turned around and found Fishlegs surrounded by a group of strangers. In front of him was a tall guy with a hoody over his head. He had three dark blue stripes as a tattoo under his left eye. The mood fell immediately as their eyes fell on him. Hiccup sighed and went with his hand through his hair before he approached the group.

"Let him go," Hiccup demanded. A few of them turned around to look at the idiot who dared to interrupt them. They froze at the sight of Toothless glaring at them all _. I dare you to lay one finger on him_ , is what his face told.

The tall guy turned around to look at Hiccup. He grinned widely at the sight and turned his attention to him. "Now, who do we have here? Little Hiccup and his _friends_ ," he snickered. "It's been a long time. How is my _sister_?" He looked around until he saw the raven-haired girl standing with a glare behind Stormfly. He was about to go over to her but was stopped by Hiccup standing between them. "She's _fine_ ," he simply stated as he crossed his arms over his chest. The young man gave him an uninterested look. He took a glance over the whole Crew and turned his attention away from him.

Hiccup did not know what he was thinking but knew immediately who he was about to go to. However, before the boy could be stopped, he had already made his way to the newest member of the Crew.

"Hello, beautiful. My name is Dagur. May I get to know your name?" he asked as he gave her a slightly mocking bow. Astrid raised her eyebrows and gave him that dumb look that she gave everyone when she had the feeling that people were trying to make fun of her. She looked at Hiccup and found him frowning at the boy in front of her. Did something happen between the two? And who did he mean by _sister_?

"Astrid," she said, glancing to the side. The Crew was awfully quiet, too quiet. As if they were waiting for something to happen. Dagur gave her a happy smile, took her hand between both of his, and shook it with more force than she actually liked. Hiccup intercepted them as he took Dagur's wrist and twisted it a bit so that he would let go of Astrid. She knew that Hiccup could get jealous but he would always try to hide it. Now however, it seemed like he was protecting her from something she did not know of.

"What gives you the right to stop me from talking to her?" Dagur asked with a hint of danger and annoyance in his voice. He did not pull back his hand yet but Astrid did as she rubbed it, looking between Dagur and Hiccup with a confused look.

"Don't touch her," he warned him, glaring at him all the while. Tuffnut, Barf and Belch already got Fishlegs up and out. Dagur tried to understand why Hiccup reacted as he did and looked for a sign. Heather was turning her head away from him and stared to the ground. Hiccup had already let go of his hand and led Astrid away while the Crew followed him. His hand was on her waist, a bit lower even. The blonde girl did not seem to mind at all and when he saw Hiccup looking at Astrid with those eyes, he knew. He was in love with her. And obviously, she too was in love with him. But what was the meaning of it? Last time he said that he and Heather were a couple. Now Heather tried to avoid him as much as possible while Hiccup did not mention that the blonde was his girlfriend although it would have explained everything. Either they both did not know that they loved each other, which he highly doubted, or he did not say it... because the blonde did not know. Dagur grinned widely now. _Interesting_ , he thought.

* * *

"Who was that?" Astrid asked after they sat down and ordered their drinks. Hiccup looked around before he locked them with hers again. He sighed and leaned back, thinking about where he should begin.

"It's a long story. Can we just… can I tell you later? I'd like to enjoy the night instead of worrying over something that's in the past," he answered finally, not finding the strength to explain everything right then. Astrid nodded and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Just take your time," she said and looked back to the Crew. Tuffnut was already lightening the mood by talking about his time in middle school. For some reason, Snotlout was hitting on Heather now instead of herself. She felt both relief that he did not chase after her anymore, but also pity that Heather had to deal with him now. Heather mouthed a _Help me!_ to Astrid as she pointed delicately to Snotlout. Astrid just covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to hide her laugh. Heather was anything but amused and threw a bonbon at her. She noticed that Hiccup was talking to Toothless now and decided that she could got to the toilet for a moment. She stood up and told Hiccup before she slipped away from them. On the way, she made a note to herself to drag Hiccup to the dance floor. She missed dancing with him in a crowd, showing off what they were capable of.

After she flushed the toilet and washed her hands. She checked her make up on the mirror again as well as her hair before she left the bathroom. She was about to turn right when suddenly Dagur stood in front of her.

"Hello, beautiful. Astrid, was it?" he asked with a crooked smile. Astrid tried to pass him but Dagur stopped her and stood in her way. He did not touch her though.

"What do you want?" she asked annoyed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, you know," Dagur started as he went over his plan. He first had to find out if Astrid was indeed Hiccup's boyfriend or not, "I've been wondering why little Hiccup is so overprotective of you."

Astrid observed him. What did he want? Did he want to ask her things in order to reveal Hiccup's weakness? Or was he simply interested in her?

"I don't see a reason why you would mind," she answered. That was good. Try to find out about him first without too many details. That should do. Of course, Dagur was not pleased with that answer.

"A reason? Isn't it reason enough that Hiccup is taking care of my lovely sister?" he asked with a smug grin. There it was again, _sister_. Who was his sister? However, before she could distracted by her thoughts, Dagur asked again, "So? Mind telling me how his love life is going? I mean, he really seemed to like you very much."

"I have no obligation to tell you anything concerning Hiccup. Now, if you'll excuse me," Astrid said quickly before she passed him, this time successfully. Dagur pursed his lips and did not care anymore. Might as well risk it.

"Tell him that I'm happy for Hiccup and Heather," he said with a smile on his face. That took Astrid's attention. She stopped in her track and turned around, however, Dagur was already gone.

Hiccup and Heather?! She did not understand anything now. So Heather was Dagur's sister. She resumed her walk to the Crew, slowly though. Dagur watched her reaction from the shadows and grinned. The risk was worth it. Little did he know though that there were another two shadows watching the whole scene unfold.

Astrid was more than confused. What was the meaning of it? She saw the Crew dancing with the others, but there was no sign of Hiccup himself. She scanned the hall and looked out for him. He was sitting at the table Ruffnut had reserved, but he was not alone. Heather was sitting next to him, on her seat nonetheless.

Normally, she would not be jealous over something as minor as that. Nevertheless, after Dagur called out that strange statement, her mind could not work properly anymore. Was there something going on between the two without her knowing? She forgot that she had halted on her way and just observed the two now. Heather seemed to tell Hiccup something that bothered her. Hiccup wore a face full of concern and fear. Why? Why did it hurt so much in her chest? It stung. She could feel how her breathing got faster with every passing second until she thought she would pass out if she did not move away, like, right now. Still, her legs did not move. She wanted to move away, look away, but could not. She trusted him, she trusted Hiccup. There was no doubt about it. But the way they were interacting with each other worried her.

Wait, why was she so scared? Her father had done worse to her; this was nothing. Then again, her father had just hurt her physically. Somehow, it ended up turning into a mental fear. The moment she was experiencing right now was striking _only_ her mentality. She shook her head and slapped herself lightly. There was nothing to worry about. Hiccup told her several times how much he loved her and Heather told her several times that there was absolutely nothing going on between them.

She went over to the table and sat down in front of the two. Hiccup looked up and smiled at her.

"Welcome back, M'lady," he said as he stood up. "The rest is already enjoying their time here. I've been waiting for you. Want to join them?"

"You don't have to ask," she grinned at him, standing up as well. She stood up and waited for Heather to get up as well. However, she just remained seated and waved them away. "Go enjoy your time. I'll take care of our stuff," Heather told them with a smirk. Hiccup nodded and went off with Astrid. They did not think much of her not joining them. Maybe she was just not in the mood to dance. Despite the loud music, they could hear the crowd cheering even louder for some reason. People gathered around a free spot and Hiccup and Astrid made way into that direction. After pushing and pulling people aside, they could see what got the crowd so heated.

Hookfang and Meatlug were dancing against each other, which was a rare sight. Meatlug liked dancing, no doubt about it, but she herself never danced much. At least, Astrid never saw her dancing before except the occasion at the political gathering. Yet Meatlug held her ground pretty good. Stormfly went up to them and tapped Astrid's shoulder to get her attention.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked confused as she pointed to Meatlug battling Hookfang. Stormfly gave her the sign that she could not her anything because of the loud music. She scooted closer and Astrid yelled louder, "What's going on?!" This time Stormfly made a gesture that she heard what the blonde had asked. She waved her to come closer and answered with a loud voice, "We're having a contest! We've split into two groups. Girl versus boys. Want to participate?" Stormfly did not need an answer for she saw the glint and fire in Astrid's eyes. The desire to compete could be seen behind these unwavering blue eyes. She has not proved her skill for a long time, proving that she was the best. Of course, now she knew that Hiccup and Toothless might be better than her, maybe the whole Crew even. But that did not stop her from aiming higher. She has practiced for a few weeks now with Mr. Clay and Hiccup. It would be the perfect chance to see how much she has improved. She grinned at her mischievously.

"I'm in."

* * *

Date of Update: 18th January 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	41. Chapter 41 - Where no one goes

**Chapter 41 - Where no one goes**

„Alright, so it's Hookfang, Toothless, Eret, Barf, Belch and me for the boys team. And Ruffnut, Meatlugs, Astrid and Stormfly for the girls team? That's six versus four. I don't like to play unfair so I'll sit it out," Hiccup told them but before he could retreat to the audience, Camicazi called out, „Let us join in!"

Everyone turned around as they saw Camicazi, her friends from the Bog Burglars and Heather making their way to them. „You're such a gentlemen, Hiccup. Nevertheless, you always spoil the game. Lucky for you that I'm _oh so generous_ and am offering to join you."

„Yes, because we all know that you wouldn't even lent me five bucks," Hiccup snorted sarcastically with a teasing smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. Camicazi rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. „Shush, I'll pretend I've never heard that," she said and gave one of her crewmembers the order to pick a decent song for the upcoming contest.

„Count me in as well," Heather grinned as she came standing beside the girls.

„Alright," Hiccup said, dragging out the last part for he was not sure if the girl were scheming something. They might, they are girls after all. That fact alone was terrifying enough to set him on edge. „Let's do this then. What song did you pick for us?"

„You'll see," Camicazi said with a knowing and mischievous grin. After the current song came to an end, a new melody was introduced through a fast drumming accompanied by flutes as well as violins. Camicazi began to stretch and that was the signal for them all. She was about to start off, but Hiccup beat her to it.

„Hey! That's my song!" Camicazi complained as she stood at the sidelines with her arms crossed over her chest, pouting.

 _\- Let the wind carry us,  
\- To the clouds hurry up, alright._

Hiccup took a slight step back before he used it to swing himself into the windmill. His legs were stretched out as he swung them in a large circle in the air and around his body. When he did a full circle, he stopped midair, bending his whole body to the front as his legs sway over his head while his arms look painfully dislocated for it stood vertical to the ground and his back, which of course was not the case. He held it up for two seconds before he bent himself even more to give himself the position for jumping up with his hands, landing on his feet again.

\- _We can travel as far, as our eyes can see._

He shuffled his feet this time, sometimes including the running man as he pretended to run on one and the same spot. He turned and used his arms to support his moves with swings.

\- _We go where no one goes,_

His steps and shuffles got faster by seconds as he prepared himself for the final move, which also meant that his steps got shorter.

- _We'll slow for no one can follow fast._

This time he took two large steps to the side as he jumped, back flipping once as he landed on his hands, then his feet, then his hands and then his feet again before he took an even larger jump for making a complete backflip in the air as he landed on his feet again. He closed the gap between his legs by sliding them smoothly together while he turned around to face the girls. He grinned smugly at Astrid and gave a mocking bow before he retreated to his team.

„Finally! Now let me show you what happens when you steal my so-" Camicazi started again, however, Astrid was already on the dance floor. „Really? Really?! Again?!" Camicazi called out hysterically as she stomped back to the sidelines. Astrid began to jump to the beat with her legs crossing and turning several times.

\- _Awake in the sky,_

\- _We'll break up so high, alright._

She jumped a bit higher, closed her legs, and angled her arms, stretched outside as she performs a pirouette in the air. Landing on her feet again, she jumped again and stretched her legs out as she span midair around herself, dragging her legs along with her, which made it seem like she was drawing the number 8 in the air with both her legs circling.

- _The snake ain't around, to savor me._

She turned around to face Hiccup and moved her arms like a wave, or rather, like a snake playing around with him. She twisted them, turned them and pretended to pull them back before she snapped at him before she pulled them back in the end, opening her arms in an explosion-like motion.

\- _We go where no one goes,_

Astrid retreated and took a long way around the sidelines as she encouraged them to raise their voices and cheering. She pulled her hands back into the sleeves a bit, loosening her pullover for the final move. She approached Hiccup again, slowing her movement slightly as she swayed her hips to the music. Her arms are around his neck while she made a simple knot with her sleeves around his neck. He was about to raise his hands to her hips until he felt a strong tug pulling at his neck.

\- _We slow for no one can follow fast._

Suddenly she drops down, her head vanishing in her pullover. After a second, she is completely free from her pullover, which was now hanging around Hiccup's neck. It left her with a red and loose tank top around her upper half of the body. One could make out black strings from her bra underneath her tank top, which seemed too oversized for her.

Hiccup could not believe it. He fell for the same trick again. He never fell for a trick twice. Then again, he was facing Astrid. Who could blame him when his long-life crush was flirting with him so obviously, and that publicly. Oh gods, he would never be able to resist her.

Astrid made sign of telling him to join her. He obliged gladly as he locked eyes with her. There was a hot flame dancing behind those lovely pupils of hers and that mischievous grin just emphasized the fire inside her. She really was competitive, and he definitely liked it. In the past, he would find it endearing whenever she demanded to have him teach things or to battle her. That time, it did not only involve dancing, but also eating, running, even pummeling each other. Heck, she was a living roller coaster. Whenever he was sure that he knew her, she just came up with another turn to surprise him and blow his mind away. It was not any different now. However, since they were older now and somehow young adults instead of just kids, he found it hot. Extremely. Hot. Moreover, exciting.

When he stood on the dance floor, Astrid began to dance with him. He could not let her down, now, could he? Therefore, he gave it his all in order to best her, doing several signing moves one after another until she could not keep it up anymore. When the song ended, Hiccup rolled forward, using his side to push himself up until his whole body was supported by his elbow alone. He waved at Astrid before he got back onto his feet. He gave her that lop-sided grin as he watched her putting her hands on her hips while she took deep breaths. Well, it certainly was no small feat to keep up with him. Even Toothless sometimes had troubles keeping up with Hiccup, but that was only whenever Hiccup tried something totally crazy.

The battle went on as both the boys' team and girls' team took turns. Songs were radomly picked unless somehow had a wish for a certain song. After Camicazi and Heather battled Barf and Belch, the crowd seemed to get even larger. It ended with the girls win on that battle. To take back the point, Eret took the turn and challenged Ruffnut. He could have won easily but since it was Ruffnut's and Tuffnut's birthday party, he decided to take it easy on her. Of course, the Crew knew that Eret had not used his full potential in the battle but nobody complained. Might as well let the birthday girl have the time of her life, right? In the end, Ruffnut won and to everyone's surprise, she head-butted Tuffnut and spit on her hand as well as her twin before they high-fived.

After that, Hookfang and Meatlug had a close battle. Nobody has ever seen Meatlug dance so much as that night. She even bested Hookfang at some point but that glory was shortlived for he pulled his signing move before the song ended.

He had span on his hands, cutting through air with his outstretched legs. He shifted his weight on both his hands before his legs were standing straight up and he spun, dropping down to his head until he came to a halt. It looked as if he was standing with his head only on the ground, however, not straight, but crooked in an angle of 45 degrees for a second before his body dropped to the ground.

That move got back a point for the boys group however, they were still short on one. Therefore, both teams made the deal that the outcome of Stormfly's and Toothless' battle would earn two points for the winner since they were the last ones to dance. Toothless would have liked to give up the battle for Stormlfy but he knew that he had to win to keep their relationship a secret and besides, Stormfly would have scolded him if he did not take her on seriously.

In the end, the boys won with a score of 4:3. It was obvious though, seeing as Hiccup and Toothless were with no doubt the best dancers among them. Of course, Camicazi would never admit it, but she too knew that she had no chance against the two boys. After the battle ended, the people from the audience began to surround the Crew. Hiccup rolled his eyes. It happened every single time they danced in public. It was not new that people who could dance would end up popular, somehow. Still, it did not change the fact that he would always be annoyed by the girls who were trying to get close to him. And now, that Astrid was flocked by guys as well, he found it even more annoying. They were on the way to the table. The progress however was awfully slow.

"Hey, is it you or is it really hot in here?" a guy asked with a big smirk, leaning in closer to Astrid. Hiccup wanted to protest but was cut off by a girl who also tried to get at least his phone number out of him. It seemed like they all could not see straight in the crowd until Hookfang went on a rampage.

He did not like it at all when people tried to close in on him, especially people he did not know. He snapped the moment he saw somebody grabbing Meatlug forcefully at her shoulder. It was then that he grabbed the wrist of the person in question, nearly twisting it before he shoved him off. Unfortunately, the guy who had an interest in Meatlug took pretty well to violence and punched Hookfang's into the face, forcing his head to turn the other side. Meatlug wanted to stop it but knew that the punch was a really bad mistake. Hookfang saw red and began to grab that guy as he brought him down to the ground. He stradled him before pummeling him like a sack of potatoes.

* * *

After a few minutes, the security came and dragged Hookfang off the poor boy who was now unconscious. They actually needed three of the security's biggest men to hold Hookfang down. However, in order to completely calm him down, Meatlug had to talk to him a few minutes of reassuring words before he stopped struggling. Afterwards, they kicked the whole group out because of Hookfang's misbehavior. The mood was gloomy as they all went back to the twin's house. When they all arrived in the living room, a quiet and awkward silence overtook the air. Hookfang got a grip on himself and decided to apologize.

"Listen, I'm sorry that the party had to end because of me. I can understand it if you want me to leave. I'm really sorry," he apologized sincerely and lowered his head.

The twins looked at each other and then back to Hookfang. What nobody expected though was that the twins began to laugh hysterically.

"Come on. Really? You nearly punched him to death! That. Was. Awesome!" Tuffnut yelled as he punched the air.

"Yeah, and I mean, if you didn't beat them up, we would have. Just for fun's sake though," Ruffnut agreed as she fist bumped with her brother.

Hookfang let out a sigh of relief that he did not know he had held onto. Barf and Belch clapped each of his shoulder before they gave him the thumbs up.

"Now, I'll turn on some music and then everyone will officially have the right bestowed from us Thorstons to relax with us. And I'll open my new camcorder, camera or as you may call it, my third eye," Tuffnut told them while he turned on his smartphone to connect it with the stereo. Tuffnut's friends from university joined him as they too were interested in his present.

Ruffnut vanished sometime around midnight with Eret upstairs and Tuffnut turned on the music even louder. At first, nobody thought much about it until Meatlug came out from the bathroom with a disgusted face.

"I swear to god that he's punishing me for no reason! Do you know how thin the walls actually are? Did you know that I'm scared for life? For life, I tell you, for life!" she exclaimed furiously as she dropped onto the couch between Hookfang and Fishlegs. Hookfang just laughed at her while Fishlegs gave her a confused look. "What happened?" Fishlegs asked her cautiously as well as nervously.

"Ruff is getting knocked up upstairs!" she huffed and made another disgusted face. It will haunt her for several nights, she knew.

At the time being, Astrid dragged Hiccup upstairs. They ignored the moans that came from a certain blonde female's room and went to the opposite side. She opened the door to Tuffnut's room and opened the windows afterwards.

"Hey, what are we doing here?" Hiccup asked in a whisper, feeling guilty for intruding Tuffnut's room without his consent. Then again, his room was messy and chaotic. Everywhere lay unfinished experiments as well as wires. He nearly tripped several times while Astrid found her way through the mess easily. Astrid jumped onto the window shelf, which surprised Hiccup.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Astrid! What are you doing?!" he yelped and grabbed at her hand.

"Relax. I'm not going to fall. Jesus, I've been doing this for years! Trust me a little," she giggled and pulled her hand back. She climbed up to the shelf and jumped onto the thick branch of a large tree that was three feet away from the shelf.

"You're crazy. Absolutely crazy," Hiccup mumbled as he too climbed onto the shelf.

"And you love me," Astrid countered playfully while she climbed higher until she reached the roof. She jumped from the tree back onto the roof and waited for Hiccup to follow. He was unsure at the beginning, if he really should follow her, but then again, what did he have to lose? Oh right, his limbs, his bones and maybe his life if he fell in a bad angle. He shook his head. No use in overthinking right now. He jumped onto the branch and was about to fall but managed to balance himself on the branch just at the last second. Hiccup climbed higher, albeit with a few struggles. He jumped to the roof and tripped, however, before he could fall, Astrid managed to catch him and hold him upright.

"So? Why are we up here?" he asked finally, looking to the ground for something that might be entertaining. Astrid just laughed lightly and pointed to the sky. Hiccup looked up and raised an eyebrow. He did not understand what she meant and gave her a dumfounded look.

"You're actually really thickheaded, aren't you?" she asked while she sat down. Hiccup sat down next to her and shrugged, looking up to the night sky.

"I don't know?" he replied with a smirk.

"It doesn't compare to the view from the clearing in the forest but this view had to do for the past ten years," she explained, looking up to the sky as well. Hiccup watched as the clouds passed by and lay down with his hands crossed under his head.

"Ten years is a long time..." he confirmed with a low voice.

"Yes, it indeed is..." she agreed with a hum.

* * *

Song: Jonsi - Where no one goes

Date of Update: 23rd January 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	42. Chapter 42 - Secret

**Chapter 42 – Secret**

Hiccup watched Astrid's figure while she looked up to the sky. While he lay there next to her, she sat with her legs stretched out to the front, her arms holding her up. There were many things on his mind but it seemed like all his worries flew away whenever he looked at her. The trees rustled as the wind blew softly against the leaves. He felt how it cooled his head and made some parts of his clothes wrinkle. He watched as the wind caused Astrid's hair to flutter a bit. Her pony flew across her eyes and she had to hold them behind her ear to have a clear view at the night sky. The good thing about the location of the twin's house was that only few lanterns were lit up on the street, allowing the people living in the area to observe the sky as well as the stars. As much as Hiccup loved the view, he loved the girl next to him more. He wanted to reach out to her, to tell her that she should lay down next to him but he had the feeling it would ruin whatever magic there was that made her look like a goddess.

Her eyes were fixated on the stars. Her lips were thin but had enough volume nonetheless. He knew since he already felt them against his. His hands itched to touch her, his body aching at the absence of her body against him, his legs getting impatient and twitching since he lay too still. He wanted to make sure that their relationship was no dream. He still had trouble believing that it was actually reality - that he actually _did_ get the girl. Although Astrid made sure he knew that it was no dream every day. Still, who could blame him? He _did_ lose his mother. He _did_ lose his father and with that his only family. He _did_ getbullied in school and he _did_ have no friends. That was until he met Toothless and the rest. Normally, he would have expected it that someone as popular as Snotlout would get Astrid. Or someone as handsome as Eret. At least, it would have added up to the way his life went so far. Yet, here he was, stargazing with none other than Astrid Hofferson, the girl he had fantasies about for nearly his entire life. Hiccup closed his eyes and smiled unconsciously. If it really was a dream, then he wished to never wake up again.

Astrid was lost in her thoughts. The words that Dagur had spoken still haunted her. She was sure that there was nothing between Hiccup and Heather. She knew when people lied to her, especially if it was Hiccup. He was the worst liar that she knew. However, something called out to her, to ask him and make sure that whatever this feeling in her chest was, it would be wrong. She wanted him to prove her wrong. Show her that she had nothing to worry about. Then again, he was a boy. He would not understand her unless she spoke to him about that issue. She turned her head just barely to have him in sight. He lay there, his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful that she did not dare to disturb him. She bit her lip and knitted her eyebrows together. She was so happy about being together with him that she totally forgot that they barely knew each other. Although they both felt the same dedication and desire for each other, there was still a ten-year gap. She could not just hope that everything was still the same, now, could she?

The thoughts began to drag her mood down until she got a slight headache from all the overthinking. Enough. She just had to ask like she always did and he would explain. It could not be so difficult, right? She watched him as the wind blew softly against their bodies. His hair danced with every blow that went through it. It was dark which made his freckles nearly unnoticeable. The strings of his ripped jeans waved at the slightest wind blow while his jacket remained untouched. His shoelaces joined the silent song of the night, as did his T-shirt. She could see a bit of his pubic hair whenever the wind forced its way under his shirt, causing it to lift slightly before it covered his skin again. His muscles were now more developed and her body just screamed to just have them embrace her in a tight hug. She turned back to the front, looking down to the streets, watching as a stray cat sneaks around the neighborhood.

There was another wind blow, however, this one was stronger, which caused her to shiver. Goosebumps surfaced on her skin as she pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself in order to keep the warmth as close as possible. Stupid her, she should have taken her pullover before she climbed up to the roof. She was so excited to have some alone time with Hiccup that she totally forgot that the night was always colder than the day. Now she was sitting with just her tank top on while another wind blew strong against her back. A cold shiver ran down her spine and she rubbed her hands on her crossed arms. She did not want to get up and inside though. It had been a while since she could just enjoy the presence of Hiccup next to her, without talking, without doing anything.

"Are you cold?" Hiccup asked in a whisper, which took her by surprise. She turned back to him and smirked.

"Nah, you must be imagining things," she stated as she tried to keep her act up. Right at that moment, another wind blew strong against her back. She closed her eyes on reflex and grabbed her arms tightly.

"We should go in," Hiccup said with a worried voice, already sitting up.

"No, no, it's okay. It's really not that cold," she tried to reassure him. Hiccup did not buy even one bit of her lie and stood up. _Great Astrid, you just had to end your alone time with him because of your own stupidity._ She gave herself a mental slap to remember her jacket next time. She was about to turn around and stand up but stopped the moment she felt him shifting behind her. He sat down slowly, positioning his legs next to hers while he scooted closer to her until his chest pressed against her back. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned in unconsciously. She sighed as his warmth surrounded her. Her hands were still cold though. She looked at them and noticed that she was a bit paler than Hiccup. She moved her hands towards his to compare them with hers. She was definitely paler. She was about to pull her hand back to her lap but touched his hand on the way. Hiccup grabbed her hands gently into his and wrapped his hands around hers, keeping them warm. Astrid smiled to herself. He worried too much about her but who was she to complain? She liked it, so might as well keep quiet about it.

"Your hands are cold," he said distracted as he too looked at her hands that lay in his. She smirked and poked his hand playfully.

"Good job finding that out after touching them, Watson," she remarked sarcastically. Hiccup grinned and watched as she played with his hands, sometimes comparing them with each other. His fingers were rougher and more calloused through the constant dance practices. She held her hand on his and looked at the size. Well, there certainly was something about the fact that men were supposed to have bigger hands than women.

"Your hands are bigger than mine," she mumbled, more to herself though. Hiccup chuckled and tangled his fingers into hers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Good job finding that out after looking at them, _Hofferson_ ," he shot back and laughed. His joy did not hold long though for Astrid stabbed him with her elbow into his side at his snarky remark. Hiccup groaned at the sudden attack and let go of her hands to rub his side. Now it was her turn to laugh and so she did wholeheartedly. He just grinned and took her hands back into his, holding them warm and safe from the wind. After a few minutes she calmed down again and stopped shaking against his chest, leaning into him and just for that moment, everything seemed right.

After a while, Astrid decided to ask him after all since she had confidence that Hiccup would reassure her. If not, then this whole situation just would not seem right, yet it did.

"Hiccup?" she asked silently, her eyes lost in their tangled hands. His embrace tightened a bit but he still made sure to keep it gentle.

"Mhm?" he hummed in response and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Dagur told me to tell you that he's happy for you two, you and… Heather, that is," Astrid said calmly, although her heart beat nervously at the mention of the topic. She felt him going stiff for a second before he relaxed again and tightened his embrace around her even more.

"Dagur talked to you?" he asked in a whisper. Now he angled his head in a way that allowed him to touch the crook between her neck and shoulder with his lips.

"Mhm," she nodded carefully, not wanting him to remove his lips from that spot. "Mind telling me what's going on?" It came out more forcefully than she had intended, but it had to do. She could have also snapped at him and yelled at him but for the moment, she just wanted to talk to him and stay in his arms.

Hiccup shifted a bit to get into a more comfortable position and sighed. She could feel his breath on her skin, which caused the ends of her hair to stand. She leaned even more into him, also getting more comfortable. Hiccup snickered, which brought him her attention. She turned her head to the side, glancing at him with raised eyebrows.

"Never took you for the snuggling type of girl. That's all," he said as he stroked her hands gently. As much as she liked it, she still wanted to know about the thing with Heather.

"Don't change the topic, Haddock. I'm expecting answers," she stated with a stern face.

"Yeah, I know. Where should I begin…" he mumbled, drifting off to his own thoughts. There was a long silence between them before he resumed, "Heather and Dagur are siblings."

"Figured."

Hiccup looked at her with a slightly annoyed look. Astrid sighed and turned her head to the front, "Sorry."

"It's okay. Just, it would be nice if I could finish explaining without you commenting every sentence I utter," he told her with a lop-sided grin.

"Careful, Haddock. I might punch you," she snorted.

"Oh? So now we're back to Hofferson and Haddock, huh," he stated, causing both to laugh a bit.

"Now back to the topic. They're not real siblings, I think. I'm not sure. Heather never told me much about it, but they do have the same father at least. Actually, Heather once belonged to the Berserkers. She and her brother gave us pretty much a handful of trouble. Although Heather didn't join Dagur in his schemes of _overthrowing_ me, as Dagur liked to say, she still was and is a formidable dancer. Took the Crew and me everything to stay at the top with them as our opponents. One day, Heather came to The Cove, telling us that Dagur had kicked her out. It was hard to believe that Dagur would give up on one of his best dancers, his sister nonetheless. Then again, Dagur is somewhat crazy. Not the kind of _stupid crazy_ like our two twins, but a dangerous, sadistic kind of crazy," Hiccup explained. Astrid could tell that he was nervous since he was switching her hands in his permanently throughout the whole explanation, intertwining his fingers with hers before he untangled them again, repeating the same action over and over again.

"He seemed rather friendly to me. A bit creepy, but friendly," she told him, remembering her first impression on the chestnut-haired guy.

"Don't let your eyes fool you. He is absolutely mad," he warned her.

"So? What did you do? Take her in?"

"Yeah, kind of. We couldn't just leave her out in the cold now, could we? Anyway, she stayed for a while at our place. We actually became good friends and at some point she told me that she was interested in me," Hiccup paused, looking for a reaction from her. Astrid just sat there silently as she listened to him. Of course, the thought that a girl confessed to him while she did not have the chance to do so at the first place, was nerve wrecking. However, the present time mattered, in which Hiccup was already hers. It did not lessen the anxiety but she hoped that she would forget it soon. After realizing that Astrid did not intend to comment on it, he continued, "And you know, I was still in love with you but I told myself that I would probably never meet you again. Since I knew that I was just some scrawny guy who was not all that handsome, I took the chance to actually date a beautiful girl- Ow!"

Astrid huffed as she pulled her hand away from his lap after pinching it. She did not turn around but Hiccup could still see the slight and angry blush on her cheeks from the side. He felt relieved, knowing that she actually was jealous, somehow.

"But you're more beautiful, if I might remind you," he corrected himself and gave her a gentle kiss on her head. She just crossed her arms over her chest and kept silent.

"You can't blame me though, I mean, come on. Would you have passed on the chance to actually date a handsome guy?"

"Might I remind you that Snotlout's been hitting on me for the past ten years?"

"-A guy who you actually get along with?" he added.

"Don't ask me something like this! Go on with your story," she tried to avoid the question since she too was not sure what she would have done if she were in his shoes.

"We passed some time together and exchanged some kisses here and there, but it never became more. Whenever she tried to get our relationship to the next level, I would get scared and turn her down. It's not that I didn't like her, it was because I didn't love her. Wait, that sounds complicated," he drifted off to think of a better way to say it. Astrid just waved with her hands and sighed, "I understand, go on."

"I loved you. I still do, but at that time, I was still in love with you and it didn't feel right to have my way with her. Although it took all my willpower to resist having my first time done with. I think I'm old-fashioned concerning that matter. After a while, we had a fight over it. She got impatient, demanding the reason why I wouldn't do the do and I told her what I just told you. Our relationship ended with that fight. Later though, she confessed that she wasn't kicked out of the team but rather that she left. It seemed like Dagur didn't take well to her talking well about us. They got into a nasty fight and that's how she ended up with us. She had no other place to go to since she too was an orphan like Toothless and the rest. Dagur might be her brother but he never showed her that brotherly love that she needed. After a few weeks, Dagur came by and demanded to hand over Heather. That's when it happened. Heather announced to him that she was going out with me and would stay at our place. I didn't expect that, of course, but I played along anyway. And since that day, we've been pretending to go out whenever we met Dagur."

Silence took over the both of them and Hiccup awaited her answer nervously. Astrid loosened her grip on her arms and played with her fingertips.

"Are you continuing to pretend being a couple?" she asked in a quiet voice. Hiccup knew it was bad to continue the act when he now has a real girlfriend. He also realized that it would only bring pain to her if he would keep it up and the last thing he wants is to hurt her. He took her hands and hugged her tightly while shaking his head.

"No. I'll talk to Heather later."

"It's okay, you know? I mean, that's how you've solved that problem for years. I _do_ understand, so-"

"It's not about you understanding. I don't doubt you if you say you understand. It's just a selfish wish from my side to respect you in any way possible. And loyalty is a part of it. I told you, I'm old-fashioned."

Astrid smiled and gave him a peck on his lips before she settled into his arms again. "Being old-fashioned doesn't mean it's bad."

"Glad to hear that," he chuckled.

"So… _do the do_ , huh?" Astrid teased him and laughed. "How old are you again?"

"Yeah, do the do, sleep with each other, making love to each other,-"

"Having sex, Hiccup. We're adults. You're making it more complicated than it is," she remarked, looking up to the sky with a giggle.

"Excuse me for actually choosing my words," he snorted and made a funny face, causing her to laugh again. "How were your ten years? Was it just as spectacular as mine?"

"Nothing of your sort, that's for sure," she answered. "But yeah, I actually did have some things going on."

"Good things, I hope?"

"Partly. I was crowned as Prom-Queen," she stated, looking back at him.

"Wouldn't have expected any less from you."

"I think you can imagine that Snotlout belonged to the popular guys? Yet, there was another one who was even more popular than him. He was my date for prom and also Prom-King. People were always talking, saying that we would match each other perfectly, but he already had a girlfriend and as for my part, I wasn't interested. Dad was all about straight A's and it took me extra classes to maintain my grades. I did go to parties though, but only because Ruffnut dragged me to everyone of them, saying that I might die as a virgin if she let me study my whole life."

"Good thing I took care of it," Hiccup stated matter-of-factly, which earned him another jab into his side. He pressed his arms to his side, in order to prevent her from jabbing another time.

"Don't let it get to your head," she said with a sly grin before she continued.

"Anyway, I would always bring a book to read or play with my mobile phone. You should've seen it, there were dumb and drunken hooligans everywhere! I would've put them into their place though, if they had just laid one finger on me. They knew, since I've beat up Snotlout publicly after he had grabbed my ass," her face contorted into a disgusted face at the sheer mention of it. That definitely was a memory she wanted to forget.

"So M'lady here went badass and kicked bad Snotlout's ass, yes?" he asked for confirmation as he put his lips onto her neck, lingering there longer than he initially wanted to. She hummed in response and leaned into his touch, enjoying it in every sense she could. "That's a weird pun. Not sure… if it's even a pun," she felt how her breathing got harder as he worked his magical lips over her neck. It was childish to get jealous over something in the past. Still, he felt the urge to make it visible who she belonged to. She already had several hickeys from their previous make-out-sessions, but he could not get enough of her as well as she could not get enough of him.

Hiccup kissed her gently while he gripped her hands tighter, holding her in place as he forced another mark on her beautiful and pale skin. Astrid took a deep breath and sighed when he gave her a slight bite at the spot he was currently working on. She unconsciously pushed herself against him, arching her back when he sucked hard at the skin, disturbing the flow of the blood underneath it. She moaned quietly into the air when he tightened his embrace around her waist, not giving her the chance to escape his lips that ravaged her sensitive skin.

"H-Hic- … Ha…" her mouth stopped working altogether when he slipped his hand under her shirt, circling with a finger around her navel before he pressed his hand flat against her stomach. Then he stopped his actions and laid his head on her shoulder, taking a deep breath as he inhaled the aroma of her shampoo.

"Tell me more… about what you've been doing the last couple of years," he encouraged her, smiling against her neck as she began to relax.

"Not much. Long story short, my father was still expecting A's and no less from me. Snotlout tried to woo me. I went on parties with the twins and Fishlegs. We went to your dance battles whenever we had the chance to and I went to our special place once a week, checking if you might have returned…" she summarized and waited for his comment, which never came. He simply sat there, gazing at the stars while he held her in his arms. They stared at the stars for a couple of minutes before they heard something shuffle from below. They both kept quiet, not intending to show themselves to whoever might want to have some peace. No wonder, with the noise going on when the two twins were doing something crazy together.

They heard a familiar voice, Heather's voice to be exact, muttering something to herself. They both leaned back and enjoyed the view when suddenly Heather began speaking.

"Hey, it's me. … Yes… Yeah, everything's fine. No, he doesn't know about it… Stop it, I already told you that it's better if he doesn't know about it…"

Astrid and Hiccup looked at each other, confusion mixing itself with curiosity as they listened to her talking to whoever was on the other side. She mouthed the word _boyfriend_ with a questioned look while Hiccup just shrugged. They both did not intend to eavesdrop on her, but who could blame them when Heather was talking right below them?

"How is Stoick?"

That brought Hiccup's full attention. The mention of his father was unheard of, who was Heather talking to which needed to discuss his father? Moreover, what about his father? What was going on? Astrid felt him stiffen with time passing and took it as a bad sign. She did not know much except for the things he had told her. The mention of his father's name was enough do set him on edge. Wait, if she was talking about Stoick, then the one she was referring to as _he_ was actually him!

"No, the Crew knows. I've also confirmed that Snotlout knows about that incident. He said that his father is recovering steadily as he's already making plans to find out who was behind that assault… Yes… No, Astrid doesn't know, we thought it would be safer if we didn't involve her... … …Yes. I'm fine, thanks to Hiccup pretending to be my boyfriend. But I think Dagur is slowly figuring out that we're acting," Heather talked in pieces.

Now Hiccup felt Astrid stiffen as well. There was something going on that the two of them did not know of and it clearly involved Stoick. The fact that Snotlout's father was recovering did not give them any clue to what might have happened. Furthermore, she had mentioned _assault_. Had there been an assault? Things got more confusing as her talk with the other person went on.

"I'll keep you up to date, I got to go back. I don't want to imagine what shit the twins might be trying right now," Heather said and laughed. "Yeah, if there's anything new, I'll call you. Alright, See you."

With that, the conversation ended and both waited until they heard the door fall shut again. Astrid turned around to talk to Hiccup, to ask him what he thinks about it but all she found was her boyfriend frozen in place, his eyebrows narrowed with his mouth slightly agape. She could tell that he was shocked, more so since they both had no clue what Heather was talking about in the first place. Then again, Hiccup did feel like he has been followed for a time now. He just did not expect that it would be by someone who was in their group. For a while, he was deaf, blind and numb at the same time. His thoughts were racing against the mystery he had just stumbled upon. Things did not make any sense anymore.

Suddenly he felt something cold but soft touching his lips. He was dragged back into reality as Astrid kissed him slowly, making each of her movements count as she felt him flinching underneath her. She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek gently in order to calm him down. It took him a while to realize what was happening until she broke the kiss. Her heart was beating fast at the current excitement she felt rushing through her veins. After a moment of just staring at each other, Hiccup realized that she was shivering. It did get colder and he took her in his arms instantly, trying to keep her warm. Really, he was so pitiful. Even after ten long years, he still cannot handle talks about his real father.

Astrid felt the need to protect him, somehow. She felt his warmth embracing her as she settled in his arms. "Hiccup…" she whispered, trying to get his attention. He stayed silent and just hugged her tighter. "Hiccup," she tried again, this time a bit louder. He snapped his head towards her and looked at her. "It will be okay. Everything will be fine. Let's… let's ask Heather tomorrow, alright? I don't want to end the party because of this… Let's just… stay here and continue our talk, okay? Let's talk about other things," she suggested, caressing his cheek in a soothing motion as she calmed him down. Hiccup nodded with pursed lips and lowered his head. He looked like a child who got something important taken away from him but Astrid knew better than to let him ponder about it the whole day. She sat between his legs, her legs over his thigh as they crossed behind him. She watched him while she ran with a hand through his hair.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked. Let's start simple, keep things simple and distract him slowly. Hiccup looked at her with a raised eyebrow as she just waited quietly for his response.

"Green, I guess, and black… but I like blue too," he answered, giving her a sheepish smile. "Yours?"

"Blue. Also, red. But I prefer blue. Although I like green too, but only if it's somehow connected to you," she answered smugly, a grin surfacing on her face. Hiccup smirked and soon, he slowly drifted away from what they had just listened to.

"What's your favorite animal?"

"A dragon."

"Dragon's don't exist," she commented, snickering at his response as she scooted a bit closer.

"Doesn't matter. They're still my favorite animal," he shot back with a lop-sided grin, "What's your favorite food?"

"Pizza."

"Figured. I hate pizza," Hiccup replied which earned him an over-exaggerated gasp from the beauty in front of him.

"You hate pizza?! Oh Thor," she groaned at his disinterest in something she would have definitely thought that he liked.

"Thor? You like that god?"

"Yes, he's my absolute number one god."

"What do you like about him?"

"He's the very definition of a man; brave, courageous, tall, handsome and he's got muscles. Don't forget his hammer that can take on everything!"

"Wow, the complete opposite of me," he snorted sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"You're also brave, courageous, tall, handsome and have muscles. Just in another way, but you still have all the qualities of Thor. Sometimes you're a fool too."

"So you're saying that Thor is a fool?" he laughed and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Well yes, that's basically what I'm saying," she answered, grinning as she noticed how the tension in his shoulders was slowly disappearing. After a while, Hiccup sighed and whispered, "Let's get back inside. It's getting colder." Astrid complied, albeit a bit hesitant. They climbed down, using the tree as a ladder again as they jumped onto the window shelf. Hiccup had been following behind her, and when he too jumped through the window, he had slipped. He fell down on Astrid who was already reaching out to help him cushion the fall, however, dragged her too to the ground since he lost balance. Both rubbed their limbs as they stood up again. After realizing how dumb their situation actually was, they began to laugh. Astrid then moved towards him, waiting for him to stop laughing before she put her lips on his. She could feel him smile against her, which automatically made her smile too. She leaned more on him until she pushed him to the ground entirely. She hovered over him as they exchanged gentle yet passionate kisses. Hiccup swore he could do that all day long had he not a whole community under his wing. A thump next door made him break the kiss as he gasped for air.

"The door isn't locked," Hiccup warned her silently as Astrid grinned even more.

"Makes it more exciting, doesn't it?" she whispered into his ear, nipping at his earlobe as she guided her lips down to his jaw and then his neck. Hiccup gulped as he enjoyed the feeling of her lips against that very sensitive spot. Both got a little distracted when they both heard Eret and Ruffnut moaning next doors, the image of their two friends doing it at that very moment turning them off. After a while, Astrid resumed with her kisses as she tried to pull his jacket off him. He complied as he too felt how it got exceptionally warmer with the two of them making out rather passionately. However, Hiccup broke the kiss again when he felt her pulling at the edges of his shirt.

"This doesn't feel right," Hiccup told her as he pursed his lips.

"What? Making out with me?" Astrid asked offended as she sat up abruptly.

"No no no! Gods, no. Us making out in Tuff's room. While Ruff and Eret are making out next doors at the same time. It doesn't feel right. Not one bit."

Astrid bit on her bottom lip as she looked at him with desire. "Wait, don't tell me you actually like this situation," Hiccup questioned her as he shied away, trying to make sense out of that girl.

"Well, no… yes... yes?" she answered, unsure as of herself while she played with her braid. "I've always wanted to make out with you while risking us getting caught."

"Do I have to tell you that Meatlug actually caught us once?" Hiccup asked her cautiously.

"No! I know, gods that was awkward! But what I mean is, us doing it secretly, while there's someone nearby who _could_ catch us," she explained slowly, vary of his opinion of her. Hiccup raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what she's trying to say. Astrid just groaned in frustration and went on, "Look. Imagine you and me in a public toilet cabin, having sex while there are people on the other side talking to each other."

"Yeah, but Astrid… this is not exactly the same situation?"

"I know, I know. But… doesn't stop me from getting excited, you know?" she said sheepishly as she rubbed her thigh against his waist, moving lower until she sat on his private area. Hiccup groaned and held her still, trying to calm down, which proved to be difficult. Astrid slipped her hand under his shirt again and lifted it. "Off with that," she demanded as she waited with crossed arms over her chest. Hiccup stared blankly at her until he gave up, dragging the cloth over his head. It was a bit cold when he lay half-naked under her.

"You know, I think now it's your turn to keep me warm," he suggested nonchalantly as he lay his arms next to his body, giving her free entrance and sight to his naked chest. She bit her bottom lip at the sight and moved her hands slowly from his stomach up to his collarbone. She halted at his tattoo and leaned down, kissing his tattooed chest as she pulled back again, marveling in the sight of his abs. It was not as strong as Eret's or Hookfang's but it still was visible. Suddenly, Hiccup jerked his hips, causing her to move up instantly as he pulls her down to him, turning around as he now hovered over her. He lay flat against her body and kissed her passionately, angling her head in the opposite direction to have a better access. He slipped his tongue in and made out with her for good five minutes until they broke away again, gasping for air before Hiccup kissed her again. While he did that, he also lifted her tank top, dragging it over her breasts. He pulled away again while Astrid lifted herself for a second in order to let him drag the top over her head, which he did in a mere second before his body crashed onto hers again, his lips searching for the undying love from hers. When they parted again, Astrid needed a few seconds before her mouth worked properly again.

"I thought that this didn't feel right to you?" she reminded him with a teasing smirk. Hiccup just pressed his erection against her to make a point, as he imitated, "Doesn't stop me from getting excited, you know?" He grinned like a mad fool, causing a cold shiver to run down Astrid's spine. He embraced her tightly as he placed his lips close to her ear, whispering, "It's not my fault you're so gorgeous."

Astrid blushed and punched him on his shoulder to hide her embarrassment. Really, since when did he get so cheeky? She then wrapped her legs around his waist, turning her head to meet his lips. Hiccup obliged gladly as he pushed his body even closer on hers, if that was even possible. The moment she tried to put her arms around his neck, he grabbed her wrist and pushed them down to the ground over her head, pinning her down. It took her by surprise but she _did_ like it, sort of. She felt trapped underneath him, and it turned her on. Astrid could literally tell how her desire for him moved from her chest down towards between her legs. Whenever he pressed himself against her, she could feel how wet she was. After a long while, she felt uncomfortable on the ground and broke the kiss.

"Bed… now…" she gasped and tried to breathe normally again. Hiccup looked to the bed next to them and thought for a moment.

"It's Tuff's bed."

"I don't care," she said annoyed, trying to get up. However, Hiccup was still pinning her down, which irritated her even more.

"I have an idea," he finally said, letting her go for a moment. She now sat up and looked at him with a curious look on her face, lifting her eyebrows slightly at the announcement. She was about to get up to the bed when he dragged her pants down.

"Wait- what are you doing?" she asked confused.

"These need to get off."

"Yeah, I can tell," she snorted, helping him as she lifted her legs a bit. As he pulled them down completely, she asked again, "But what for?"

He gazed at her for a moment, taking in her slender body before he pulled her up. Not knowing what he was up to, she stood up and was about to ask him again. He beat her to it though as he kissed her hard, pushing her back as she stumbled over her own cloths before her back met a cold wall. She gasped at the cold sensation, her mouth getting ravaged by his lips again the moment she let out the groan. This time Astrid took the initiation to slip her tongue in, trying to dominate the battle as they kiss forcefully and hard. Hiccup, not one to back off from heated challenges, pinned her against the wall, distracting her for a moment with his hands on her body as he slowly won the battle.

Astrid moved her hands towards his belt and opened it, unzipping his pants as she dragged it over his ass. His erection jumped free and poked her inner thigh as they continued to make out passionately. She was about to give him a hand job when he pulled her hands away, placing them over his shoulders as he bent down a bit. She was about to complain when he suddenly lifted her, his arms holding her legs up as he pushed himself closer against her. Astrid corrected herself. There certainly was nothing to complain about at all. Still, it surprised her that he had the strength to lift her up.

"Hold onto me for a second," he said fast in a husky voice and with rough breaths. She complied and tightened her grip around his neck, her legs around his waist. Hiccup freed his pride from his boxers and pulled her panty to the side, allowing him free entrance. Astrid was about to give up when she felt him spearing into her with full force, causing her to scream in surprise.

Both did not talk much when they made love to each other. Hiccup held her in place, his arms tightening under her knee as he moved in and out slowly. However, he knew that even though he might be able to lift her now, he would not be able to keep her up for a long time. Therefore, he fastened his pace quicker than normally, pouncing rough and hard into her, which she was not used to. It did not make it any less pleasurable though. Of course, she liked it gentle and slow since she wanted to feel him as long as she could. This however topped everything. It was raw, passionate and hot. It was mind-blowing for she moaned loudly into the air as Hiccup whispered several dirty and loving words in her ear. She knew that Hiccup was not the type to talk dirty and it made her even more worked up now that he did.

"Ah!... Gods Astrid,… I want to… fuck you… until you can't… stand… anymore..!" he said, as her moans filled his ear. Astrid dug her nails into his back as she tried to hold herself up, fearing that she might slip down and end her way to paradise. She gave him a sloppy kiss before she demanded, "Fuck me… harder… please!" At that she felt him growing another inch, if that was even possible, pounding a spot deep inside her that she did not know of until now. "Yes! There, don't stop! Don't stop!"

Hiccup quickened his pace until only the slapping between their bodies alongside their moans could be heard. Astrid's moans got louder, which alarmed Hiccup. He kissed her and drowned in her gasps as he tried to shut her up. Astrid however was way over her head to be able to hold herself back now. When Hiccup felt his arms losing strength, he unconsciously pounded deeper and faster into her, trying to get them both over the edge. Astrid reached her climax first for the sudden act made her fall apart. She tightened around him, feeling wrung out when she called out his name. Following after was Hiccup, spilling inside her at the call of his name as well as her tightening around him. "Ah- Astrid!" he moaned, waiting for his outburst to end before he slowly let her down again. They were both out of breath and hugging each other for a while until they calmed down. Astrid could feel herself dripping as it flowed down her thigh. Hiccup pulled himself out and kissed her gently. Both smiled at each other when they pulled away again. He rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes while he enjoyed her presence and warmth. Astrid just chuckled and patted his head, giving him another kiss on his cheek.

"You have to do that more often," she whispered into his ear. Hiccup grinned and laughed quietly.

"Do what?"

"Having brilliant ideas."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey guys, it's been a while, huh? I thought that I might explain why I haven't been updating daily anymore. Or why I haven't added any A/N-notes for the last few chapters.

The reason why I had a long break from November until January was that my father went on a business trip for nearly two months. Since our restaurant lacked employees who were able to take over for him (or work at all), I had to jump in for him, thus, taking away the 8 hours of writing that I had ready each day, indirectly making me the boss of the people working there. So, while I was working there, I had to solve conflicts between the employees, solve problems between employee and customer and solve the flaws that were slowly growing in-between the people. Slowly it took me all my time as well as my free time until I finally broke down.

When my father came back again, three people left, leaving me no other choice but to take over for good. I had to literally jump in for 3 people and do all their work at the same time. I've been working non-stop there while my father was/is searching for new employees.

Another reason was that I found my inspiration to draw again, and since it certainly had been a while since I've ever felt motivated to draw something, I put fanfiction aside and decided to draw until there was motivation no more, which was around new year's.

Next thing is that next week my mother will be the one to go on a business trip for another month, leaving me to take over again her part as well too. Life's been rushing past me as I try to find time to write fanfiction. I surely am not obliged to write it and I think you know that too. Yet, I think I owe you updates since I've already started this story, and I hate leaving things unfinished. And I owe it to those who decided to follow and support me and my story.

Also, I might end up tutoring and babysitting two kids of a good friend of my father. Which would result in me having even less time to write fanfiction. It's not sure as of yet. It doesn't make things easier that my parents are constantly criticizing my weight and the way I lead my life. I'm certainly not overweight and I'm also not too thin. I'm working my ass off because they can't get anything right and adding oil to the fire, two of my best friends have left me for their so-called 'boyfriend', which I really cannot comprehend and makes me sad and angry all the same. I'm just fucking 19 years old and they can't expect me to make life-decisions on the spot without thinking about it.

I'm sorry for actually sharing my problems so shamelessly and publicly but since I really have no one to rely on anymore, this is the last resort I can take to process everything that's happened so far.

In addition, I plan to rewrite the other chapters when I have the time to do so. I've been reading it the last few days and have found many mistakes which I could punch myself for. There are also some things that don't even make sense, therefore I'll work on that.

Finally yet importantly, the reason why I haven't written any A/N-notes lately was that I thought it to be unnecessary to keep on asking you to review. Don't get me wrong, I simply love every review that I can get, but I won't ask you for it anymore, because in my opinion, if the story really is worth a review, then it will get its review. Even without me asking for it.

Still, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **UnbreakableWarrior** and **The Burning Pillar** for supporting me with every review that they've left so far, for showing me that they are still interested in my story although I've been absent for nearly two months. This is also the reason why it's much longer than the rest of the chapters, thus, making this chapter somewhat special. Looking at how hard my life has become, each review makes my day a better one. Whenever I get a notification that a review has been left on my story, I simply smile and that's enough to get me through the day. So again, thank you two for always taking your time as to give me a reason to keep on writing.

Date of Update: 29th January 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	43. Chapter 43 - The shadow

**Chapter 43 – The shadow**

Overall, the party went smooth. When Hiccup and Astrid went downstairs, they had joined the group in their talk about… everything. Their life, their experiences, their adventures. Hiccup kept on glancing towards Heather, his nerves on edge as he remembered her previous talk on the phone. He did not speak to her about it and avoided talking about anything regarding that matter. Later that night, when everyone went home, Astrid had settled on his bed again, sitting next to him as he researched things concerning his father and the assault. Both were shocked to find out that Stoick was still in coma. When he had read Gobber's name as well as Bertha's and Spitelout's, his heart stopped beating for a moment. All three seemed to have gotten out of the fire with minor injuries. Of course, he had not much contact to his father. However, it still somehow worried him, deep within him, although he would not admit it so easily.

Days passed as Hiccup and Astrid tried to search for more information. Sometimes they also tried to tail Heather, hoping they could find out whom Heather talked to. However, it turned out that Heather was extremely careful where and when she had her secret calls. After a while, the two of them agreed that they needed Tuffnut's and Fishlegs help, since they could not ask Thuggory, who also happened to know about the incident while keeping it a secret from them. Hiccup felt betrayed in some way. He knew that his friends were just worrying about him But to the extent of actually keeping things as important as his father a secret from him? Did they have no faith in him to actually bite his lip and accept the fact? Astrid had confirmed several times that she knew nothing about that topic.

Fishlegs knew the theory while Tuffnut was the one to break morals and rules. They both helped Hiccup and Astrid to listen on Heather's phone talks. Of course it was against her privacy to listen in on her, but what other possibility did she leave them with? Hiccup and Astrid had told the Crew that they were going out for a few days. The Crew had just rolled their eyes as they wished them all the fun they could possibly have. Their real destination however was Tuffnut's house. It turned out to be a good idea, since they just waited for Heather to start another phone call. While they waited, Astrid had the time to hang out with Ruffnut more, much to her demise, since Ruffnut could not find an excuse to meet Eret more than she already had.

Fishlegs and Hiccup also began to open up to each other. Fishlegs also saw why Astrid and the twins decided to hang out with him suddenly. He was attentive, to everyone. He listened to him and gave useful comments to fuel his efforts for his hobbies. After three days, they got impatient. Hiccup just sat down and stood up frequently. In the end, they did not get anything useful from Heather and were forced to go home to the Cove empty-handed. One day, Toothless had approached the two to talk to them.

"We need to talk," he said seriously as he guided the two of them out of the Cove again, going on a walk with them. He noticed immediately how a car was tailing them and decided to go to a place where they could sit down without anyone eavesdropping on them. "Do you happen to know a place where no one would suspect us being there?"

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other before they agreed that it was safe to let Toothless know about the place. Hiccup led him back to his former home, pursing his lips as he recalled the news. His father was not home and the house was left abandoned. He took a shortcut as the car could not follow them any further since it was only small enough to let people through the gap. When Toothless heard a door closing shut, he pushed Hiccup to the front, urging him to walk faster.

"Run," Toothless hissed as he took a nervous glance behind them. Hiccup, not knowing what was going on, felt ridiculous as he just walked a little bit faster. "Why?" he asked curiously as he also tried to look behind. Toothless head how it rustled behind him and turned back to Hiccup. "Just trust me and run as fast as you can," he whispered and Astrid sensed danger incoming. She did not know what was going on, but she did know that Toothless rarely got serious. Therefore, she turned to Hiccup and encouraged him for she began to run as fast as she could. Toothless followed close behind while Hiccup started running as well.

Soon Hiccup felt fast footsteps behind them and knew why Toothless urged them to run. Somebody was following them and he did not know who. Astrid, already knowing that fact as well after hearing the footsteps, took many turns. Hiccup and Astrid had the advantage that both knew the forest by heart, knowing each angle and place of it. It was like a maze for people who had never entered the forest before. Hiccup took up on what she was doing and ran up to her, telling her that they would split up and confuse him. They would meet at the clearing. One reason why he suggested it was in order to find out whom the person behind them was following. He told Toothless to stay with Astrid, and after a few meters, they parted. Hiccup ran to the right while Astrid and Toothless turned left.

For a moment, he heard how the steps behind him stopped. The person probably got confused at the fact that they had parted. However, just a few seconds after, Hiccup heard the person resuming his chase. The steps got closer and that is when he knew the person was following him. Suddenly everything clicked.

His father disowned him publicly. Several years passed in peace and then the sudden attack. Right after his father was out, someone decided that he would be the next target. There was no reason for that though, unless they knew that he was his son. The growing worry slowly consumed his heart as it fueled his nerves more, pushing him to his limits as he tried to lose the person. But why? Or rather, was it even possible? Did his father disown him for his own safety? What were the chances that it would be exactly that? Most part of him knew Stoick as a miserable father, if at all. Now there was a small light in his heart, hoping that there was a deeper meaning to it all, to everything.

Hiccup watched as the sky was already painted in orange and red, even a bit purple. He forced his mind to do its work. He needed a place where he could lose him, distract him, confuse him. He felt how his lungs were giving out the longer he dragged out the chase. He looked for something, anything that could be useful. Suddenly he heard more footsteps, however, they were coming from the side. Hiccup was about to look to the side when a blur passed his vision, followed by a loud smack. He turned around completely, finding Toothless on top of the man as he checked if the man was still conscious. The man groaned and started to struggle as he realized what had happened. Toothless, having let his guard down, was pushed off the men and pinned to the ground. Toothless snarled at him and tried to defend himself. Hiccup watched the scene unfold before his eyes. He watched as Astrid sneaked up on the man with a huge wooden plank in her hands. She was merely a feet away and hit it hard against the back of the man's head. He went limp, falling onto Toothless and there he remained unmoving. Toothless checked his pulse and sighed out of relief when he felt him breathe normally.

"Okay, care to explain what's going on?" Hiccup demanded as he walked up to them. Astrid still had struggles keeping her breathing under control. The excitement and fear all overloaded at once and she was suddenly on her knees, shaking a bit. Toothless was still catching his breath as he stood up, pushing the body off him. "We have to get out of here," Toothless said as he stepped back, looking around in order to orientate himself. However, it proved to be rather difficult with only trees around them.

"What, we're going to let him here?" Hiccup asked cautiously.

"Why yeah. He's still breathing. He can find his own way out of here when he wakes up," Toothless answered, his breathing now even.

"I agree. I don't want to see him when he wakes up again. I don't want to know what could happen…" Astrid approved of Toothless' argument and already showed him the way to the clearing. Hiccup followed reluctantly after them as he turned around sometimes to check on the unmoving body. He felt guilty for leaving the man out there in the cold, but what choice did he have. The man would certainly attack them again if they did not leave immediately.

After a while, the sun was down, leaving the three to wander around the forest in the dark. And the only compass Toothless had was his two friends. He could see a light in the far. They were heading straight towards it until they reached the clearing. Hiccup sighed out of relief and sat down on his favorite spot, under the willow that seemed to be a hundred years old. It was also the spot where Astrid and Hiccup always sat under, talking to each other. Or merely enjoying the presence of each other. Astrid walked up to him and sat down next to him. She instantly leaned on him out of habit, resting her head on his shoulders. However, then she remembered again that they were not alone this time and sat up again, leaning against the trunk. "Care to explain what just happened?" Hiccup started out as he looked at Toothless. The black-haired boy just sat down in front of them and sighed as he started.

"The man that had followed us just now… he's been tailing us for quite some time now. I think over two weeks, to be exact. I noticed at the birthday party from the twins. When Dagur talked to Astrid, there was someone watching them. I just happened to pass by as I saw the guy. He stood out since he wore a suit… And when we left, there was this black car that's been following us every day. First, I thought that I was going insane, but after I carefully took note of the license plate, I noticed that it was the exact same car-"

"Wa-wa-wa-wait! Hold on! You're telling me that this… man was tailing us the whole time? And you knew it? And you didn't talk to me about it?!" Hiccup snapped. Why was no one talking to him recently?

"Because you would have known about your father!" Toothless roared annoyed that his best friend actually snapped at him without even listening. Hiccup always listened.

"Well guess what, I already know!" Hiccup yelled back at him, throwing his arms in the air as to make his point.

"And I know that you know! Which is why I'm talking to you now!"

"Now?! Why didn't you tell me earlier!? You're telling me now after I've figure half of the things out myself!"

Astrid watched as Hiccup and Toothless argued. She never saw Toothless this serious and worked up. He was mostly the laid-back type of guy. Kind of relaxing even. Now she could only watch as they figured things out… in their own way.

"Because we didn't want to worry you!" Toothless was now standing, energy vibrating through his body as he tries to get through that thick skull of Hiccup.

"And you couldn't have thought that I might've been able to accept the fact?! Do you even know what that all means? I somehow kind of understand now why my father disowned me! Heck, the man wasn't tailing _us_! He was tailing _me_!" Hiccup shouted, now standing up as well. "After fucking ten years, I'm figuring things out for the first time!"

"I'm glad you did, but that's not the point here! You have your own life! You're not a Haddock! You're Hiccup. The Hiccup, who saved me, saved my friends, saved Heather, saved Eret, saved Thuggory, saved most of the people in this town and saved _her_!" he shouted back, pointing on Astrid with his index finger. "I don't care why they're after you and I don't care if you're mad at me! But don't you fucking dare say that I didn't want to tell you everything! I _did_ want to tell you but I couldn't! Not with how things were going so good in your life for once!" Toothless was now standing in front of Hiccup, his eyes filled with annoyance and hurt.

The two had never argued before. Never once in their whole friendship. It was the first time Hiccup actually saw Toothless that mad and hurt. He could not say anything now, could he? He stayed silent, waiting for his friend to calm down. Everything was so laughable. The whole situation was laughable. He did understand what Toothless was trying to say, and he knew that the Crew kept it a secret from him because they worried for him. He _did_ understand, yet he felt so betrayed after finding everything out. Nonetheless, he still had manners.

"Sorry… for snapping at you. However, it doesn't change the fact that I'm mad you didn't tell me," Hiccup said, now more calm and collected. Toothless upon seeing his friend now actually willing to listen to him huffed and relaxed.

"Sorry for shouting too. I'm afraid that there are still things that I have to tell you though."

"There's more?"

"There's more."

* * *

Date of Update: 2nd February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	44. Chapter 44 - All about trust

**Chapter 44 – All about trust**

Hiccup and Toothless sat down again as they calmed down. Both were still excited and worked up since it was their first fight. A thousand things were going on in Hiccup's mind, questions over questions taking over his brain, as the answers seemed nowhere close. Astrid could only sit and watch the two boys getting lost in their thoughts. She too was curious what exactly was going on but she was smart. She knew that the two needed their time to get their heads around the subject. They are _boys_. She smiled at that thought. Right, because they are boys. That would explain everything. Why could it not explain why her father was how he was towards her too? Boys made no sense. _Men_ made no sense. Then again, she did not know that boys too did not get girls at all. The world was a strange place indeed.

"So? Why did you want to talk to me so privately?" Hiccup began to break the silence, leaning against the tree as he looked at the grass beneath him. Really. This place was supposed to be his paradise, his oasis. Now it was only filled with worry and problems. Not to mention that now someone other than Astrid knew about this place. He had no problems with it that Toothless, it just did not feel that special anymore. _A place that only we both know of_. Yeah, right.

Toothless sighed and scratched his head. Where should he begin? Well, Hiccup probably already knew about the assault, judging from his behavior towards Heather these days. Or towards the Crew. He had taken more distance than normally, as if he was mad at them for something. The others did not notice though. "Where should I begin…" he muttered and looked at Hiccup. That face, the one who saved him and his friends as well as everyone else in that district. He felt absolutely bad for not telling him. What was he thinking, keeping it a secret from him? He should have known better!

"I should start with the news first. We found out about your father… and the attack. We really had trouble covering everything up that could have shown you the truth. Anyway, we all agreed that it was better to keep you out of it… and Astrid as well. We did trust her but we also knew that she would've told you if she knew about it, which was why we kept it a secret from her as well."

"Damn right," Astrid commented, earning herself a half-smile from Hiccup and an irritated glare from Toothless. She just waved her hand as to signal him to go on.

"That's nothing new though," Hiccup remarked, waiting for the real reason Toothless wanted to talk to him.

"It's about the man. I don't know if it was always him who tailed us but the car was always the same. He's been watching us every day after I've taken notice of him. I didn't show any sign that I might know, to find out more but there wasn't more. He was just watching. However, later I found out that Heather's been talking to someone about us. She's giving reports about our situation and specifically about you. I don't know why and I thought that maybe she was just talking to a good friend. But then she began talking about your father… and about the whole disowning you thing. I didn't get much out of it because I had to be careful as not to get caught…" he explained, getting faster as his tongue got used to talking so much at once.

Hiccup listened attentively, staying quiet as he tried to follow the whole explanation. So it was not the first time she had been talking to that someone on the phone? Hiccup looked at Astrid, who in response looked as unsure as himself while the two tried to wrap their minds around the situation. Really, just what was going on?

"Do you know who she might've been talking to?" Astrid asked first, curious and cautious at the same time. Toothless shook his head and frowned.

"That's what I'm trying to find out. I don't want to confront her directly. I do know that Heather is a good girl. But sometimes she's as scheming and mischievous as the devil himself. I don't know what she might do if she knew about us knowing. It might trigger something. I didn't want to risk it."

"Good choice," Hiccup complimented him, although he wished it would not be for such a touchy subject.

"My father, huh…"

"I don't know what I should think about this all anymore," Toothless admitted with pursed lips. "But I will support you until the very end."

Hiccup smiled gratefully as he fist-bumped him, chuckling as they missed a bit. "Thanks bud. What would I do without you?"

"Oh, looking at our earlier encounter with the madman, you'd probably die without me," Toothless answered nonchalantly, his grin wide and full of pride. Talk about boasting.

"I beg to differ. I was the one who knocked him out cold!" Astrid laughed while Toothless rolled his eyes. That girl just had to steal his moment. Really, if Hiccup were not so smitten with her, he might have considered it again if it was okay to have her in the Crew. Then again - Hiccup aside - Stormfly also liked the girl. Hookfang seemed to have accepted her too so who was he to actually kick her out. And she sometimes bought him the fish-chips that he loved so much. If there were fish-chips, he could live with her always having the last word.

"But if they're chasing me… whoever they are… I might not be safe anymore. _You guys_ wouldn't be safe anymore," he reminded them, frowning at the thought of people hurting his friends and Astrid. Toothless and Astrid looked at each other with unsecure glances. He did not want to drag them into this mess. It was _his_ mess. Or his father's. Well, his family's mess. But certainly not theirs.

* * *

Hiccup was on the way to Mr. Clay. In his hands were two sheets of paper. He knocked at the door to his classroom and opened it when a male voice on the other side gave him permission to do so. Mr. Clay sat at his desk over some papers too - looking, judging and analyzing. He took place across him and put the sheets on his desk. His teacher looked up and then back to the sheets. He carefully took them and looked at the application forms. It seemed that Astrid Hofferson would participate in the competition. He put it on the mountain of sheets next to him and looked at the second paper. His eyes widened, even if just slightly. He looked at Hiccup with a questioned look.

"Mind to explain the bottom part, Henry?" Mr. Clay asked of him, trying to keep his composure while his excitement returned slowly to his aging features.

"I just want to help someone have as much fun as he or she can get," he replied with a modest smirk. Mr. Clay knew exactly who he meant and already looked forward to the competition.

"If that's the case, I hope I get something out of it too. On the stage," he responded with a wide grin.

"Of that I can assure you, sir."

* * *

Hiccup had called the whole Crew to assemble in the living room. Nobody except Toothless and Astrid knew what was going on. After the Barf and Belch had settled down at last, Hiccup decided that it was time to get to the point.

"Can I trust you?" he asked out of nowhere, which took most of the Crew by surprise. After a few seconds of shocked silence, they all nodded eagerly. What question was that anyway? Hiccup looked around and saw Heather nodding as well. He pursed his lips, he hated it to accuse someone in front of people who actually had nothing to do with that but he had no choice. She leaked information about them to somebody they probably do not even know. He wanted to make sure that he could trust her. Maybe Heather had a reason for what she was doing. He hated what he was about to do.

"Heather?"

The girl in question gave him a gentle smile as she responded with a mere hum. She was so relaxed. There was no way she meant ill intention, was there?

"Why are you leaking information about us to someone? _Who_ is that someone?" he asked in a calm voice. As the question left his mouth, the Crew grew silent. Heather's eyes widened for a moment until she pulled herself together.

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

Ignorance. Was she really trying to play innocent and dumb now?

"You know what I'm talking about."

Stormfly and Meatlug were probably the ones who were shocked the most. They had spent most of their time together with the girl, seeing as they felt like sticking together like good girl friends do.

"Hiccup, listen, if this is a joke-"

"Astrid and I have listened to your phone call at Ruff and Tuff's birthday party," he cut her off. The words got stuck in Heather's throat while she remembered the conversation she indeed had that night. Now even Barf and Belch began to whisper in hushed voices while Hookfang perked his ears. Thuggory too had stopped tinkering with whatever it was that he held in his hands. Heather knew it would only worsen the situation if she played dumb. He found out. And now the whole Crew was about to find out. Why, how? She was so careful to take as few phone calls as possible. And whenever it was time for a call, she made sure that no one could accidently listen on to her conversation, yet Hiccup claimed that he did. With Astrid nonetheless!

"Hiccup, what do you expect me to say?" Really, what did he expect? He knew what she did and could easily just kick her out. It does not even matter anymore what she has to say.

"I just want to know if I can _trust_ you."

"You can!" It was out before she could even think about it. She would have said the same though.

"Then tell me why you've been telling some stranger about our situation? Tell me why you all did not tell me about my _father_!" He was now facing the whole Crew. Everybody avoided his eyes and tried to push the guilt back to the far corner of their mind.

"We didn't want to worry you…" Meatlug whispered, nearly inaudible. Hiccup heard it though.

"I think that is my problem to worry about. I have the _right_ to know about it. And I would have liked it more if you guys told me from the beginning instead of finding out in the middle of a make-out session with Astrid!"

Astrid's cheeks were colored pink at the mention while she tried to hold her fist back. She really wanted to punch him. But he was in the middle of a serious discussion – as serious as it could be.

The Crew had gone into in awkward silent again, trying to find a reason that could justify their deed. They never wanted to keep something secret from Hiccup unless it was for his own sake.

"Who have you been contacting?" Hiccup faced Heather again, who was still strong enough to hold his calm yet angry face. On any other day, she would have loved to inspect his feature more into detail but not today. He was half-glaring at her as he tried to remain composed. Give him a pair of piercing green eyes and a girlfriend to boost his self-confidence and try looking into his eyes without blinking.

"I can't tell you…"

"I thought you said I can trust you!"

"You can! But- Hiccup- … just- … You have to trust me on this! I'm not ratting out on you! I'd never do that! You should know that by now!"

"Then why can't you tell me… tell us? Do you think we might turn our backs on you?"

"No… but I can't. I really can't."

"At least, can you tell us what you've been telling that someone?"

Heather looked up to find curious gazes waiting for an answer. Really. She should be more careful from now on.

"Just… the necessary stuff."

" _Necessary_ stuff?"

"Well… something that is worth mentioning."

"My father for example?" His voice was low and a bit accusing.

Heather bit her lip. "Could you please try to understand me a little? It's just as hard for me to stay silent as it is for you, who seeks answers! I really can't tell you! Not without permission."

"… Is someone blackmailing you?"

"What?" His words sounded worried when he asked her and it took her a moment before she could realize what he had just asked.

"Is someone blackmailing you?"

"No! Gods, no. It's- … let's just say that I'm contacting an ally. Is that enough? I really can't tell you more."

Hiccup pursed his lips and frowned. He looked back to Toothless and Astrid who were not sure what to do as well.

"Can I trust you?" he asked her again.

"Of course you can." The reply was immediate, fast and… sincere. Hiccup saw it in her eyes. She was not lying. He sighed. One day he will fall by the hands of allies. One day. But until then, he will just pray to the gods that he made the right decision.

"Then I hope you won't use that trust against me."

* * *

 **A/N:**

For those who might not have noticed it, I started another Fanfiction: 'Mine or Yours'. The reason for that is that I had a writing block (is it even called like that?). The last few days were filled with images and scenes that would now play in the MoY-universe. I was pretty much hurt and depressed lately. To be honest, MoY is a way to cope with the things that are going on in my head. While TTT is all about my dreams and hopes one day, MoY is all about my inner feelings that I've buried for the last 5 years. I just wanted to remind you that this Fanfiction might be updated slower because of that. I hope you don't mind.

As always, thank you for reading.

Date of Update: 16th February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	45. Chapter 45 - Someone you can count on

**Chapter 45 – Someone you can count on**

It has been hard. After he made Heather talk, more or less, the Crew had started to avoid mentioning the most intimate things in Heather's presence, unconsciously avoiding her slowly. This was not what she had planned. She wanted to help, to keep them safe, but here she was, having everything turned against her. She could not blame them, they had the right to do so. But it still hurt. Sure, she sometimes deceived them when it concerned Dagur and The Berserkers but she never had ill intentions. She knew she was at fault, but she wanted to keep them safe. And this was necessary to keep them safe. To keep Hiccup safe. Yes, maybe she did not get his heart. Maybe she was jealous of Astrid who managed to steal his heart in the blink of a second. Of course she was angry when she found out and of course she was mad at Hiccup for never even giving her a chance. All those years they had pretended to date each other in front of Dagur felt so empty, so wrong. She told herself that it was okay, that it was enough to have him pretend. But it was not. She wanted his eyes on her, his heart and his attention.

When Astrid had asked her about their relationship, she felt insulted as well as a bit proud. She had seen her as a potential rival, and that alone was enough to forgive her for taking Hiccup away. Nonetheless, it did hurt to see them both so happy. Sure, she was happy for him to have finally found his love. But what about her? Had he ever thought about her? What she might feel? That it might hurt her?

She had buried those depressed feelings into the deepest corner of her mind and forced herself to smile. If it meant that everything could stay the same, then she would smile and go on. But now, now they were avoiding her. Everything she had been doing was turning against her. She cannot tell him about it. Not about Camicazi, who she had been contacting. Not about his father, Cami's mother… or _his_ mother. How was she even supposed to imagine the consequences? Hiccup could turn the whole underground environment on its head if she told him. She knew what he was able to, even if by the help of his father. She did not even dare tell him that his father had been worried sick about him.

Hiccup had built so much just for his sake and for his friends' sake. She was not stupid enough to let some information leak destroy this environment. And if her disappearing might turn everything to its former happiness and glow… then she was more than willing to give up this place she had become so attached to.

Heather lay on her bed and looked up to the ceiling. She should leave. It was the best for everybody. She was about to sit up and pack her things when she heard a soft knock on her door. Turning her head towards it, she said, "Come in."

From all the people she had expected, Astrid was the last on the list. Why would she want to talk to her? _What_ did she want?

"Hey…" Astrid said in soft voice. She closed the door silently and, to Heather's surprise, locked it. She took the key and placed it on Heather's hand before she stuffed the edges of the door. She did not want to risk someone eavesdropping on the two.

"What are you doing here?" Heather asked the blonde suspiciously, her eyes narrowed and focused on her.

Astrid, now finished with the stuffing, waited for Heather's permission to sit down next to her. When she did, she let herself fall down on the soft mattress with a long sigh. Neither of them spoke, letting the silence comfort them for a bit before they jumped into the conversation that was probably going to be nerve-wrecking.

"So?" Heather began, taking a shy glance at the blonde. Astrid was indeed beautiful. She understood why Hiccup was so heads over heels with her. But more importantly, she liked Astrid in person. Sure, she did not like that Astrid was chosen by Hiccup, but it does not mean that she has to hate her just because of that. Astrid was cool, and patient, sometimes hot-headed, but that trait just made some days more interesting. She watched as the blonde stretched her arms before she lay them back down on her lap.

"I don't know you as long as the others," Astrid said, looking at her hands. Heather just nodded with a sad hum. "But, for some reason I just know that you don't mean any harm."

"Wow. It shocks me to hear that from you," Heather snorted with a slight grin. Astrid just nudged her shoulder and smiled. "Anyway, you're here because you want to know something, right?"

Astrid nodded and looked at her face seriously. "Can I be of help?"

Heather nearly choked on her own saliva. She coughed and looked at the blonde with wide eyes, "Excuse me?"

"Well, you know, I think there is something big going on." Astrid explained, remembering the day some weird man chased her and the other two guys. "And for what it's worth, I think you're shouldering a huge burden. I know you told us that you can't tell us, but I think the reason is that there was a person present who's not supposed to know that, right?"

Damn, that girl's senses were sharp. She should be careful not to make an enemy out of her. Heather shivered a bit at the thought, but nodded all the same.

"So I've been thinking. What if you told me about it?" Astrid suggested, looking Heather directly into her eyes.

"Astrid, I already told you! I can't-"

"But that's only because Hiccup wouldn't understand it. I would. I can. And I will," she said resolutely, her face determined and ready to face anything. Heather was taken off guard for a moment before she composed herself again. "You're Hiccup's girlfriend," Heather scoffed, the words leaving a bitter aftertaste on her tongue. Astrid shot her an offended gaze before she coughed, clearing her throat. "Yes, that I may be. But first and foremost, I am me. And I want to know what's going on. I promise that I won't tell him."

Heather laughed bitterly. She could totally see why Hiccup fell for her. She was not just outstandingly beautiful, she was also strong and determined. Once she set her mind on something, she would do anything to reach that goal. Even if it meant to go behind the back of her boyfriend. If it would have been her, she would have probably told the same thing as Astrid, with the only difference that she would have broken the promise and told Hiccup immediately. However, she knew that Astrid was someone who kept her word. And it made her feel even worse at the realization than she already was. As if she were inferior to the blonde girl.

"Of course you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I think I can help you. Even if it is only to calm Hiccup down or keep him away from you for a while. Only if I know what is going on, though."

Astrid let herself fall back on the bed, spreading her arms out in a relaxed gesture. She had stuffed the edges of the door and she was sitting next to the raven-haired girl. She shall be doomed if Heather did not spill now. It was a fifty-fifty chance. And she bet everything on it. Even Hiccup's trust in her. But she could not just stand at the sidelines and watch. That was not her. She wanted to know what was going on.

Heather bit her lip. Now it was her turn to decide if she should take the chance to actually have an ally inside the Crew. If she told her, then her faith will lay in her hands. And somehow she was afraid that she might crush it in the end after all. Nobody guaranteed her that Astrid was a hundred percent honest to boot. Nobody but her intuition. Then again, the whole Crew was already avoiding her. This might be her ace. Her last card. Her last resort. Trust. And if Astrid proved to be a bitch after all, she would leave instantly. She was not welcomed anymore anyway. Sighing she looked back at Astrid.

"I've been contacting Cami."

Astrid sat up abruptly, her vision blurring in front of her for a moment until her eyes adjusted to the surrounding once more. She looked at Heather with a surprised look. "Why?"

Heather gave her a sheepish smile, leaning back as she supported her body with her arms. "Hiccup's father worries about a lot about him. He cares. He just can't show it. Or rather, he's _not allowed_ to show it. You probably know Camicazi's mother who's always standing next to Stoick. Stoick told her to tell Cami to watch over Hiccup. And since Cami is not a part of the Crew, she chose someone who might do the job," she explained, staring at the ceiling as if there was something interesting hidden in there.

"And she chose you?"

"Yes."

"And you agreed?"

"Yes…"

"Huh…"

Heather sighed and lay down on her bed. "To be frank, I actually wanted to decline. I wanted to rush to Hiccup and tell him about how his father cares for him. But you know, when I actually stood in front of him, I couldn't say a word. I couldn't even mention the topic. It felt so wrong. He was enjoying his life with us and I would have been the one to destroy that little peace that he had left. As much as I wanted to tell him the truth, I just couldn't bear to see him lose his only moment when he was so at peace."

Astrid looked at her with a blank face. Truthfully said, Heather was on edge. Astrid could storm out of this room any moment and her only hope would fade into nothing. It was as if a hand squeezed her heart like a citrus out of its juice. She could feel the catastrophe tightening its grip around her chest. It was uncomfortable, painful, and frightening.

However, Astrid proved to be more than trustworthy when she lay down beside her, humming thoughtfully.

"So? You took the offer and gave them information on him and the well-being of everyone else?"

Heather nodded silently as she closed her eyes. She felt at ease. Finally, she could share the burden with someone, even if it was not sure yet if she would keep it a secret. It was enough that she could talk about it.

"When are you making those phone-calls?"

"Hm?" Heather opened her eyes and looked at her.

"I mean, if I knew when you were going to make the calls, I could distract Hiccup and the Crew. _If_ you tell me everything, that is. I _do_ want to know what's going on."

"I'll just text you and tell you when I need some privacy. And I think you should join my phone calls. That way they'll think that I would never make a phone call. Not when you're with me."

"And restore your place in the Crew."

"…"

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No. It's just, we don't even know each other that long. Why are you going to such lengths to help me?"

Astrid chuckled and answered, "Because Hiccup would do the same. And because that trait of him saved me many times. I want to try to help you too. Even if it's only _knowing_ that I can do. So? What is it, that I should actually know?"

Heather smiled and gladly obliged. She tried to shorten the explanation to the most important facts since she did not want to arouse suspicion among her friends. It was one thing if they were against her, but it was another thing to isolate Astrid. She would definitely not let that happen. Not after she finally found a person she could count on.

* * *

 **A/N:**

I'm sorry for the long wait and also for the short chapter. My mind's been a mess lately. Remember I told you I had a similar experience as Astrid in this story? A friend of mine met up with me a few days ago and asked me about the truth and reason behind my behavior. And I've decided to trust her, which meant that I told her everything. With that my past got back at me again, making me fall into a deep hole of darkness. I haven't slept more than 3 hours per day for the last week and it's also eating at my motivation, energy and reason to live. But my friend is helping me to get over it. So I really apologize for the future updates who might take longer than necessary to update. Thank you for understanding and I hope you liked the chapter nonetheless.

Date of Update: 12th March 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	46. Chapter 46 - Dirty Dancing

**Chapter 46 – Dirty Dancing**

* * *

Thuggory gave Astrid and Hiccup the sign to get ready as he adjusted the sound. Hiccup slipped his right arm underneath Astrid's arm to hold her at the shoulder blades. His left hand took her other hand as he slowly stretched both their arms out. Thuggory started the music and both Hiccup and Astrid waited for the part of the song where they would start dancing. As the drums started and the beat dropped, Astrid did few twisting steps in Hiccup's hold before turning to face him for a short moment. Shortly afterwards she turned again and raised both her legs to the air in a beautiful swing before landing at the same spot where she started jumping off.

All the while Hiccup held her firm in his hands and adjusted his supporting arm around her waist, shifting his balance from leg to leg. After he widened his stance, Astrid hooked her inner leg around his leg, released it, then hooked it again, always facing him and turning away from him in turn. She jumped and hooked her leg around Hiccup's waist. Hiccup in return lifted her up and spun around a few times before setting her down again. Astrid turned around and raised her leg high into the air before pulling it back as she spun back into his arms, letting herself fall into his hold as Hiccup supported her upper body. When she returned into starting stance with him, both looked into the same directions and stepped with their inner leg in unison the same pattern before Astrid turned again, raising her leg behind her above her head.

Astrid returned into his hold, jumping slightly to help Hiccup lift her up by putting his arm around her waist as she raised her legs in the air again, wheeling them slowly as Hiccup took a few steps back. Setting her down once again, they held each other's hand and turned away from each other until the hold of each other prevented them doing so any further. While both their holding arms were stretched, their hands lay angled on their waist. This time Hiccup used them to pull himself and spin into her hold. Once he reached his standing stance, Astrid spun into his body before letting herself fall down, holding herself just with the help of Hiccup's arm alone just a few inches above the ground.

After he pulled her back up, she separated herself from him, taking a few elegant steps forward and posing some smooth and fluent moves. Meanwhile Hiccup straightened his back and followed her, taking another few steps as he approached her from behind. When he stood behind her, he raised both his arms in a fluent motion before embracing her tightly. Both his hands travelled southwards down her body and grasped her hands. They pushed each other away again, stretching the arms in which they held onto each other and let go for a moment. Astrid used that moment to pirouette quickly several times in Hiccups direction before holding onto him again.

Hiccup held her strong and let her fall in a heartbeat, then raising her up before letting her fall again. When he pulled her up again, both looked at each other with an intense gaze, Astrid's hand almost digging into his chest and Hiccup's hand holding her on the waist. They rotated a few steps in that pose before Hiccup took her hand, raised his arm above her head and spun her. Astrid spun outside his hold and held him from behind, taking a firm grip on his arm and shoulder before spinning herself back in front of him when he lifted his arm above her head once again.

As they exchanged another few steps, he grasped her behind her neck and pulled her down, Astrid meanwhile bending and arching her back so that she could follow his motion. Once down, he rotated her, leaving her kneeling on the ground beside him. He crossed his arms and took both her hands in his as he pulled her up and towards him, spinning her on the ground before Astrid jumped and flew in a beautiful arched pose into his arms. Hiccup put all his weight into his legs and caught her as she trapped him with her legs around his waist to avoid wobbling and falling over.

Hiccup began to spin again and Astrid used that momentum to loosen her legs and let herself be swung around a few times as she arched her back yet again, holding tightly onto her tiptoes. Back on the ground, Hiccup positioned himself accordingly, taking one of her hands while the other is placed firmly underneath her shoulder. They skipped a few times, stepping in unison before spinning again, back and forth, their movements in harmony and fluent and after another second Hiccup pulled her out of his hold to the outside. Astrid in response spun several times and bowed in a fluent motion.

By that time, some of the crew had already stopped by to watch them practice their new choreography, mostly the girls though. Meatlug watched with an envious gaze while the more Heather watched them, the more she thought that they were both made for each other. While Hiccup may look very calm and logical on the outside, he was a silent passionate person. In comparison to that, Astrid was anything but silent. She was wild, free and raging like a burning fire.

Astrid gasped out of breath and forced herself to stand up straight again in order to breathe better. Hiccup also went and took a bottle of water out of the fridge and opened it to take a large gulp. After emptying half of the bottle, he handed it over to Astrid who also drank from it until her thirst was sated.

"That looked really stunning. Now imagine that being performed on stage with fitting costumes and light effects," Stormfly commented when both dancers settled down on the couch.

"Yeah… but the question is, what you guys will be dancing in order to fit into that choreography. Right now that dance is nothing but a duo. And it was hard enough to come up with that choreography," Hiccup complained and let his head fall back.

"May I add that I still don't understand how you can spin so much without getting dizzy?" Astrid said exhausted as she held her head.

"Weren't you just fine when we were dancing though?" he asked confused.

"Yeah, I can't exactly faint in the middle of the dance now can I?" she retorted and crossed her arms.

"Ah, you got a point there. But to answer your question, you just need to get used to it," he explained and chuckled a bit, "I mean, I don't want to remember how many times I toppled over just because I spun too much."

"Anyway, why don't you just leave it as a duo dance?" Stormfly asked.

"But we've always opened to the competition with a dance as a whole crew. I can't just leave you out of it," Hiccup argued.

"Just once won't be the end of the world," Stormfly said with an overdramatic tone.

"But guys-"

"It's okay, really Hiccup. Don't worry," Stormfly encouraged him.

"That's right. Instead, you should better make sure you win this next competition, otherwise we're going to be in a whole lot of trouble… you know what I'm talking about," Meatlug emphasized as she glared at Hiccup. "Because, in the end, what's important is this," she continued as she showed him her hand with her index finger and thumb forming a circle, the sign for cash.

"Not the fun and feeling of dance?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Not with the way things are going, not anymore. I'm sorry to disappoint you but you reap what you sow," she stated matter-of-factly and shrugged.

Hiccup sighed and tapped with his feet on the ground as he pondered absentminded. He was interrupted when Astrid stood up and walked past him with a teasing smirk, brushing his hand in the process. Once she was a few meters away, she waved with her hand at the others, "I'm going to take a shower guys, worked up quite a sweat."

The girls just nodded while Hiccup was torn from discussing things further with Meatlug and following Astrid right under the shower. He decided for the latter and told the others that he forgot some business he apparently had to take care of in his room. It was partly true. He needed to get a change of clothes and hide in the bathroom before Astrid got inside. He went upstairs and ran into his room once he was out of sight. Hiccup opened his wardrobe and took the next best shirt and pants as well as boxers before running down the hallway again, hiding himself in the bathroom behind the door.

After a few minutes he heard someone approach the bathroom and got ready to surprise Astrid. However, the one who stepped over the threshold was anybody but her. The moment he jumped out to scare her, his face was met with a rather muscular guy. Hookfang looked at him flatly, not batting his eyes even once as he observed his friend make a fool of himself. He proceeded to the counter and took some hair gel out of the cupboard. Hookfang turned around, gave Hiccup a confident thumbs up before leaving the bathroom again.

Hiccup, now completely embarrassed, did not notice that Astrid had come through the door a few moments later and sighed. Astrid watched him amused and waited for him to focus on her while she shut the door and locked it.

"You seem kind of emotionally exhausted," she grinned as she leaned on the door, holding her change of clothes under her arm.

"Yeah, well… I wanted to wait here and surprise you but instead of you, Hookfang came in," he explained as he set down his things on an empty counter. He heard Astrid laugh out loud as she also put her clothes next to his belongings.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" she asked with a smirk as she started to lift up her shirt.

Hiccup smiled and was kind enough to help her out of it, "Indeed you are."

In just a few moments, their lips were crashing onto each other while Hiccup desperately tried to get her out of her clothes. Hands wandered over her back down to her pants and then came around to the front, dipping inside them. Astrid gasped and buried her hands into his messy hair.

Initially she only started it because Heather needed some time alone to talk to the others about a few things concerning their little secret. After they had talked to each other, they both came to the conclusion that only the two of them was not enough to support Hiccup. They agreed to only involve the Crew except Toothless since Heather thought that it would be unhealthy for their friendship if Toothless anymore secrets from Hiccup.

Astrid was supposed to keep Hiccup away from them for a while but she admitted, she also wanted to just have Hiccup ravish her while they were still covered in sweat. It was not a fetish per say, it is just that every time they dance together Astrid gets this urge to have a dirty fuck with him. And for her being sweaty is kind of dirty.

Hiccup raised his arms above his head so that Astrid could free him of his shirt before grabbing her rear and pressing his thigh between her legs. They both kissed passionately, their minds long lost in the heat and their bodies craving each other. Once Hiccup and Astrid managed to get out of their clothes, Hiccup slowly led her to the shower cabin. He waited for Astrid to step in before following right after her and shut the glass door of the shower cabin. He opened the tub and once the water poured over them, Astrid let out a cry.

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 **A/N:**

Well hello there, it has been a while I guess. I wanted to update sooner, but I was sick the whole time and also had a fever which hindered me from rewriting anymore. I rewrote a third of all the chapters but I didn't want to let you wait any longer so here is your chapter.

I haven't written in a long time so please excuse me if some things kind of sound different from my usual writing style. (Which is also why I'm rewriting the story)

Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I don't know when the next chapter is going to be updated but it's probably going to be mostly smut. Until then, stay tuned and healthy!

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Date of Update: 12th February 2018

 **~KeGzZ**


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